The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (313 page)

and left me here in wretchedness behind you?

GRIFFITH

Madam, we are here.

Madam, we are here.

KATHARINE

It is not you I call for:

Saw ye none enter since I slept?

It's not you I'm calling for:

didn't you see anyone come in since I went to sleep?

GRIFFITH

None, madam.

Nobody, madam.

KATHARINE

No? Saw you not, even now, a blessed troop

Invite me to a banquet; whose bright faces

Cast thousand beams upon me, like the sun?

They promised me eternal happiness;

And brought me garlands, Griffith, which I feel

I am not worthy yet to wear: I shall, assuredly.

No? Didn't you see, just now, a blessed band

invite me to a banquet; their bright faces

shining a thousand beams on me, like the sun?

They promised me eternal happiness;

and they brought me garlands, Griffith, which I feel

I am not yet worthy to wear: I certainly shall in future.

GRIFFITH

I am most joyful, madam, such good dreams

Possess your fancy.

It makes me very happy, madam,

that you are having such sweet dreams.

KATHARINE

Bid the music leave,

They are harsh and heavy to me.

Tell the musicians to stop,

it sounds harsh and heavy to me now.

Music ceases

PATIENCE

Do you note

How much her grace is alter'd on the sudden?

How long her face is drawn? how pale she looks,

And of an earthy cold? Mark her eyes!

Do you see

how much her grace has changed all of a sudden?

How drawn her face has become? How pale she looks,

and as cold as earth? Look in her eyes!

GRIFFITH

She is going, wench: pray, pray.

She is going, girl: pray, pray.

PATIENCE

Heaven comfort her!

May Heaven comfort her!

Enter a Messenger

Messenger

An't like your grace,--

If it pleases your Grace–

KATHARINE

You are a saucy fellow:

Deserve we no more reverence?

You are cheeky fellow:

don't I deserve more respect?

GRIFFITH

You are to blame,

Knowing she will not lose her wonted greatness,

To use so rude behavior; go to, kneel.

You should not be so rude

as to treat her any way differently to when she was Queen;

get down on your knees.

Messenger

I humbly do entreat your highness' pardon;

My haste made me unmannerly. There is staying

A gentleman, sent from the king, to see you.

I humbly beg your Highness' pardon;

my haste made me ill mannered. A gentleman

from the King is waiting to see you.

KATHARINE

Admit him entrance, Griffith: but this fellow

Let me ne'er see again.

Exeunt GRIFFITH and Messenger

Re-enter GRIFFITH, with CAPUCIUS

If my sight fail not,

You should be lord ambassador from the emperor,

My royal nephew, and your name Capucius.

Let him in, Griffith: but I never want to

see this fellow again.

If my eyes do not deceive me,

you are the lord ambassador from the Emperor,

my royal nephew, and your name is Capucius.

CAPUCIUS

Madam, the same; your servant.

Madam, I am him; at your service.

KATHARINE

O, my lord,

The times and titles now are alter'd strangely

With me since first you knew me. But, I pray you,

What is your pleasure with me?

Oh, my lord,

the times and titles have now been strangely altered

for me since you first knew me. But, please,

what do you want with me?

CAPUCIUS

Noble lady,

First mine own service to your grace; the next,

The king's request that I would visit you;

Who grieves much for your weakness, and by me

Sends you his princely commendations,

And heartily entreats you take good comfort.

Noble lady,

firstly I want to offer my services to your grace;

also the King requested that I visit you;

he is very sorry for your illness, and through me

sends you his princely greetings,

and heartily begs you to be of good cheer.

KATHARINE

O my good lord, that comfort comes too late;

'Tis like a pardon after execution:

That gentle physic, given in time, had cured me;

But now I am past all comforts here, but prayers.

How does his highness?

Oh my good lord, his comfort comes too late;

it's like a pardon after an execution:

that sweet medicine, given in time, would have cured me;

but now I am past all comfort apart from prayers.

How is his Highness?

CAPUCIUS

Madam, in good health.

Madam, he is in good health.

KATHARINE

So may he ever do! and ever flourish,

When I shal l dwell with worms, and my poor name

Banish'd the kingdom! Patience, is that letter,

I caused you write, yet sent away?

I hope he always will be! May he always prosper,

when I am living with the worms, and my poor name

has been banned from the kingdom! Patience, is that letter,

which I told you to write, sent yet?

PATIENCE

No, madam.

No, madam.

Giving it to KATHARINE

KATHARINE

Sir, I most humbly pray you to deliver

This to my lord the king.

Sir, I most humbly request that you deliver

this to my lord the king.

CAPUCIUS

Most willing, madam.

Certainly, madam.

KATHARINE

In which I have commended to his goodness

The model of our chaste loves, his young daughter;

The dews of heaven fall thick in blessings on her!

Beseeching him to give her virtuous breeding--

She is young, and of a noble modest nature,

I hope she will deserve well,--and a little

To love her for her mother's sake, that loved him,

Heaven knows how dearly. My next poor petition

Is, that his noble grace would have some pity

Upon my wretched women, that so long

Have follow'd both my fortunes faithfully:

Of which there is not one, I dare avow,

And now I should not lie, but will deserve

For virtue and true beauty of the soul,

For honesty and decent carriage,

A right good husband, let him be a noble

And, sure, those men are happy that shall have 'em.

The last is, for my men; they are the poorest,

But poverty could never draw 'em from me;

That they may have their wages duly paid 'em,

And something over to remember me by:

If heaven had pleased to have given me longer life

And able means, we had not parted thus.

These are the whole contents: and, good my lord,

By that you love the dearest in this world,

As you wish Christian peace to souls departed,

Stand these poor people's friend, and urge the king

To do me this last right.

In it I have asked him to kindly take care of

the image of our perfect love, his young daughter–

May Heaven pour down blessings upon her–

asking him to give her a good upbringing

–she is young and of a noble modest nature,

I hope she turns out well–and to love her

a little for her mother's sake, who loved him,

God knows how much. My next poor request

is that his noble grace should have some pity

on my wretched women, who have for so long

stayed with me whatever happened to me,

and I swear that there isn't one

(and I would not lie now) who does not deserve,

due to the goodness and beauty of their souls,

their honesty and decent behaviour,

a proper good husband (let him be a nobleman)

and it's certain that they will make those who have them happy.

The last request is for my men, they are very poor

(but they would never leave me due to poverty)

and I would like their wages properly paid to them,

with something over to remember me by.

If heaven had chosen to give me a longer life

and sufficient means, we would not part like this.

That's all I have to say, and my good lord,

by all that you love most in the world,

as you wish dead souls to find Christian peace,

be a friend to these poor people, and urge the King

to do this last thing for me.

CAPUCIUS

By heaven, I will,

Or let me lose the fashion of a man.

By heaven, I will,

or let me lose the title of man.

KATHARINE

I thank you, honest lord. Remember me

In all humility unto his highness:

Say his long trouble now is passing

Out of this world; tell him, in death I bless'd him,

For so I will. Mine eyes grow dim. Farewell,

My lord. Griffith, farewell. Nay, Patience,

You must not leave me yet: I must to bed;

Call in more women. When I am dead, good wench,

Let me be used with honour: strew me over

With maiden flowers, that all the world may know

I was a chaste wife to my grave: embalm me,

Then lay me forth: although unqueen'd, yet like

A queen, and daughter to a king, inter me.

I can no more.

I thank you, good lord. Give his Highness

my most humble respects:

so the one who caused him such trouble is now

leaving this world; tell him that I blessed him as I died,

for I shall do so. My eyes are growing dim. Farewell,

my lord. Griffith, farewell. No, Patience,

you must not leave me yet: I must go to bed;

call more women in. When I'm dead, good girl,

treat me with respect: cover me over

with maidenly flowers, so that all the world will know

that I was a pure wife to my grave: embalm me,

then lay me out for burial: although my title has been taken away,

Bury me like a queen, and the daughter of the King.

I can say no more.

Exeunt, leading KATHARINE