The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (264 page)

Not his that spoils her young before her face.

Who scapes the lurking serpent's mortal sting?

Not he that sets his foot upon her back.

The smallest worm will turn, being trodden on,

And doves will peck in safeguard of their brood.

Ambitious York did level at thy crown,

Thou smiling while he knit his angry brows.

He, but a duke, would have his son a king,

And raise his issue like a loving sire;

Thou, being a king, blest with a goodly son,

Didst yield consent to disinherit him,

Which argu'd thee a most unloving father.

Unreasonable creatures feed their young;

And though man's face be fearful to their eyes,

Yet, in protection of their tender ones,

Who hath not seen them, even with those wings

Which sometime they have us'd with fearful flight,

Make war with him that climb'd unto their nest,

Offering their own lives in their young's defence?

For shame, my liege! make them your precedent.

Were it not pity that this goodly boy

Should lose his birthright by his father's fault,

And long hereafter say unto his child,

'What my great-grandfather and grandsire got,

My careless father fondly gave away?'

Ah, what a shame were this! Look on the boy,

And let his manly face, which promiseth

Successful fortune, steel thy melting heart

To hold thine own, and leave thine own with him.

My gracious lord, this excessive softness

and damaging pity must be put aside.

Do lions look kindly on anyone?

Certainly not on an animal that wants to invade their den.

Whose hand does the bear in the forest lick?

Not that of the person who kills her young in front of her.

Who escapes the fatal sting of the lurking serpent?

Not the person who treads upon her back.

The smallest worm will turn, if it is trodden on,

and doves will peck to defend their family.

Ambitious York took aim at your crown,

with you smiling while he was frowning.

He, just a Duke, wanted his son to be king,

and raised his son like a loving father should;

you, being a king, blessed with a good son,

gave permission for him to be disinherited,

which made you look like a most unloving father.

Unthinking animals feed their young;

and though they are frightened of men,

who hasn't seen them protecting their

offspring, even using the wings

which they could have use to fly away in fear,

to make war against someone who has climbed up to their nest,

offering their own lives in the defence of their young?

You should be ashamed, my lord! Be like them.

Isn't it shameful that this good boy

should lose his birthright because of his father's mistakes,

and for years to come should say to his children,

“What my great-grandfather and grandfather got,

my careless father stupidly gave away?"

How shameful this would be! Look at the boy,

and let his manly face, which promises

success, reinforce your melting heart

to keep what you have, and pass it on to him.

KING HENRY.

Full well hath Clifford play'd the orator,

Inferring arguments of mighty force.

But, Clifford, tell me, didst thou never hear

That things ill got had ever bad success?

And happy always was it for that son

Whose father for his hoarding went to hell?

I'll leave my son my virtuous deeds behind,

And would my father had left me no more;

For all the rest is held at such a rate

As brings a thousand-fold more care to keep

Than in possession any jot of pleasure.--

Ah, cousin York! would thy best friends did know

How it doth grieve me that thy head is here!

Clifford has made an excellent speech,

putting forward very strong arguments.

But tell me, Clifford, have you never heard

that things got in a bad way lead to bad ends?

Will the son be happy when his father

has been sent to hell for his miserliness?

I shall leave my good deeds to my son,

and I wish that's all my father had left me;

you have to pay so much for all the rest

that it gives one a thousand times more trouble

to keep it than any pleasure in having it.

Ah, cousin York! I wish your best friends knew

how sad it makes me to see your head there!

QUEEN MARGARET.

My lord, cheer up your spirits;

our foes are nigh,

And this soft courage makes your followers faint.

You promis'd knighthood to our forward son;

Unsheathe your sword and dub him presently.--

Edward, kneel down.

My lord, raise your spirits;

our enemies are nearby,

and this weakness will infect your followers.

You promised a knighthood to our brave son;

take out your sword and invest him at once.

Edward, kneel down.

KING HENRY.

Edward Plantagenet, arise a knight;

And learn this lesson,--draw thy sword in right.

Arise, Sir Edward Plantagenet;

learn this lesson; always draw your sword on the side of right.

PRINCE.

My gracious father, by your kingly leave,

I'll draw it as apparent to the crown,

And in that quarrel use it to the death.

My gracious father, with your kingly permission,

I shall draw it in my position as heir to the crown,

and in that argument I'll use it to the death.

CLIFFORD.

Why, that is spoken like a toward prince.

Why, spoken like a good prince.

[Enter a Messenger.]

MESSENGER.

Royal commanders, be in readiness;

For with a band of thirty thousand men

Comes Warwick, backing of the Duke of York,

And in the towns, as they do march along,

Proclaims him king, and many fly to him.

Darraign your battle, for they are at hand.

Royal commanders, prepare yourselves;

Warwick is coming, in support of the Duke of York,

with a force of thirty thousand men,

and as they march along through the towns

they proclaim him as king, and many are joining him.

Get in battle order, for they are near.

CLIFFORD.

I would your highness would depart the field;

The queen hath best success when you are absent.

I wish your Highness would leave the battlefield;

the Queen does best when you are not here.

QUEEN MARGARET.

Ay, good my lord, and leave us to our fortune.

Yes, go my good lord, and leave us to take our chances.

KING HENRY.

Why, that's my fortune too; therefore I'll stay.

Why, it's my business too; so I'll stay.

NORTHUMBERLAND.

Be it with resolution then to fight.

Then you must resolve to fight.

PRINCE.

My royal father, cheer these noble lords,

And hearten those that fight in your defence.

Unsheathe your sword, good father; cry'saint George!'

My royal father, rouse these noble lords,

and give heart to those who are fighting to defend you.

Take out your sword, good father; cry out for St George!

[March. Enter EDWARD, GEORGE, RICHARD, WARWICK,

NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, and Soldiers.]

EDWARD.

Now, perjur'd Henry, wilt thou kneel for grace

And set thy diadem upon my head,

Or bide the mortal fortune of the field?

Now, perjured Henry, will you kneel for pardon

and put the crown upon my head,

or will you take your chances on the battlefield?

QUEEN MARGARET.

Go, rate thy minions, proud insulting boy!

Becomes it thee to be thus bold in terms

Before thy sovereign and thy lawful king?

Go and insult your servants, you rude boy!

Is that any way for you to talk

to your ruler and your lawful king?

EDWARD.

I am his king, and he should bow his knee.

I was adopted heir by his consent;

Since when, his oath is broke; for, as I hear,

You, that are king, though he do wear the crown,

Have caus'd him by new act of parliament

To blot out me and put his own son in.

I am his king, and he should kneel to me.

I was adopted as heir with his agreement;

since then, he has broken his promise; for, I have heard,

that you, who is the real king even if he wears the crown,

have made him pass a new act of Parliament

which has written me out and placed his own son there.

CLIFFORD.

And reason, too;

Who should succeed the father but the son?

There's a good reason, too;

who apart from the son should inherit from his father?

RICHARD.

Are you there, butcher?--O, I cannot speak!

Is that you, butcher? Oh, I cannot talk!

CLIFFORD.

Ay, crook-back; here I stand, to answer thee,

Or any he the proudest of thy sort.

Yes, hunchback; I'm waiting here to fight you

or any of your greatest men.

RICHARD.

'T was you that kill'd young Rutland, was it not?

It was you who killed young Rutland, wasn't it?

CLIFFORD.

Ay, and old York, and yet not satisfied.

Yes, and old York, and I'm still not satisfied.

RICHARD.

For God's sake, lords, give signal to the fight.

For  God's sake, lords, give the signal to fight.

WARWICK.

What say'st thou, Henry, wilt thou yield the crown?

What do you say, Henry, will you surrender the Crown?

QUEEN MARGARET.

Why, how now, long-tongued Warwick! dare you speak?

When you and I met at Saint Alban's last,

Your legs did better service than your hands.

Why, what's this, snake tongued Warwick! Do you dare to speak?

When you and I last met at St Albans,

you did better work with your legs than with your hands.

WARWICK.

Then 't was my turn to fly, and now 't is thine.

That was my time to run, and now it's yours.

CLIFFORD.

You said so much before, and yet you fled.

You said that before, and yet you fled.

WARWICK.

'T was not your valour, Clifford, drove me thence.

It wasn't your bravery, Clifford, that drove me away.

NORTHUMBERLAND.

No, nor your manhood that durst make you stay.