The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (561 page)

which doesn't exactly recommend him;

from his rusty armour he seems

more like a carter than a knight.

Second Lord

He well may be a stranger, for he comes

To an honour'd triumph strangely furnished.

He may well be a foreigner, for he's very

strangely dressed for an important festival.

Third Lord

And on set purpose let his armour rust

Until this day, to scour it in the dust.

He seems to have deliberately let his armour rust,

until today, when it will be rubbed clean in the dust.

SIMONIDES

Opinion's but a fool, that makes us scan

The outward habit by the inward man.

But stay, the knights are coming: we will withdraw

Into the gallery.

Exeunt

Great shouts within and all cry 'The mean knight!'

Opinion's just an idiocy, it makes us think

we can tell the inner man from his appearance.

But wait, here come the knights: we shall go

into the grandstand.

(Great shouts from within and all cry, "The poor knight!)

Enter SIMONIDES, THAISA, Lords, Attendants, and Knights, from tilting

SIMONIDES

Knights,

To say you're welcome were superfluous.

To place upon the volume of your deeds,

As in a title-page, your worth in arms,

Were more than you expect, or more than's fit,

Since every worth in show commends itself.

Prepare for mirth, for mirth becomes a feast:

You are princes and my guests.

Knights,

it's not necessary to say that you're welcome.

To make a list of everything you've done,

as if writing a title page, your achievements with arms,

is more than you would expect, or more than is necessary,

since all your merits are obvious to see.

Get ready to enjoy yourselves, for feasts should be enjoyed:

you are princes and my guests.

THAISA

But you, my knight and guest;

To whom this wreath of victory I give,

And crown you king of this day's happiness.

But you, my knight and guest;

I give you this victory wreath,

and crown you king of this happy day.

PERICLES

'Tis more by fortune, lady, than by merit.

It was more by luck, lady, than through skill.

SIMONIDES

Call it by what you will, the day is yours;

And here, I hope, is none that envies it.

In framing an artist, art hath thus decreed,

To make some good, but others to exceed;

And you are her labour'd scholar. Come, queen o'

the feast,--

For, daughter, so you are,--here take your place:

Marshal, the rest, as they deserve their grace.

Call it what you want, you are the winner;

and I trust nobody begrudges you your victory.

When making an artist, art has ruled

that some will be good, but others exceptional;

you are her favourite pupil. Now, queen of

the feast–for that is what you are, daughter–

take your seat here:

Marshall, seat all the rest in order of precedence.

KNIGHTS

We are honour'd much by good Simonides.

We appreciate the honour good Simonides gives us.

SIMONIDES

Your presence glads our days: honour we love;

For who hates honour hates the gods above.

Your presence makes me happy: I love honour;

anyone who hates honour hates the gods above.

Marshal

Sir, yonder is your place.

Sir, your place is there.

PERICLES

Some other is more fit.

Another would be more suitable.

First Knight

Contend not, sir; for we are gentlemen

That neither in our hearts nor outward eyes

Envy the great nor do the low despise.

Do not argue, sir; we are gentlemen

who do not envy the great nor hate the low,

neither in our hearts or our behaviour.

PERICLES

You are right courteous knights.

You are truly courteous knights.

SIMONIDES

Sit, sir, sit.

Sit, sit, sit.

PERICLES

By Jove, I wonder, that is king of thoughts,

These cates resist me, she but thought upon.

By Jove, who is the king of thoughts, I'm amazed

that my thoughts of her quite put me off these delicacies.

THAISA

By Juno, that is queen of marriage,

All viands that I eat do seem unsavoury,

Wishing him my meat. Sure, he's a gallant gentleman.

By Juno, who is the queen of marriage,

all the food I eat seems tasteless,

wishing to taste him. He certainly is a gallant gentleman.

SIMONIDES

He's but a country gentleman;

Has done no more than other knights have done;

Has broken a staff or so; so let it pass.

He's just a country gentleman;

he has done no more than other knights;

he's broken a lance or two; forget it.

THAISA

To me he seems like diamond to glass.

To me he's like a diamond compared to glass.

PERICLES

Yon king's to me like to my father's picture,

Which tells me in that glory once he was;

Had princes sit, like stars, about his throne,

And he the sun, for them to reverence;

None that beheld him, but, like lesser lights,

Did vail their crowns to his supremacy:

Where now his son's like a glow-worm in the night,

The which hath fire in darkness, none in light:

Whereby I see that Time's the king of men,

He's both their parent, and he is their grave,

And gives them what he will, not what they crave.

The King reminds me of my father's picture,

which showed me how glorious he once was;

he had princes sitting, like stars, around his throne,

with him as the sun, for them to worship;

nobody who saw him could help but, like smaller stars,

to have the light of their crown eclipsed by his supremacy:

now his son is like a glowworm in the night,

which only shines in the darkness, not in the light:

through this I can see that time rules over men,

he is their parent and their gravedigger,

and he gives them what he decides, not what they want.

SIMONIDES

What, are you merry, knights?

Are you enjoying yourselves, knights?

Knights

Who can be other in this royal presence?

How could we not be in your royal presence?

SIMONIDES

Here, with a cup that's stored unto the brim,--

As you do love, fill to your mistress' lips,--

We drink this health to you.

Here, with a cup that is full to the brim–

as you love her, lift it to your mistress' lips–

we drink your health.

KNIGHTS

We thank your grace.

We thank your grace.

SIMONIDES

Yet pause awhile:

Yon knight doth sit too melancholy,

As if the entertainment in our court

Had not a show might countervail his worth.

Note it not you, Thaisa?

But just a minute:

that knight there looks too miserable,

as if the entertainment at our court

wasn't good enough for him.

Do you see it, Thaisa?

THAISA

What is it

To me, my father?

Why should I care,

father?

SIMONIDES

O, attend, my daughter:

Princes in this should live like gods above,

Who freely give to every one that comes

To honour them:

And princes not doin g so are like to gnats,

Which make a sound, but kill'd are wonder'd at.

Therefore to make his entertainment more sweet,

Here, say we drink this standing-bowl of wine to him.

Pay attention, my daughter:

in matters like this princes should live like gods,

who give freely to everyone who comes

to honour them:

Princes who do not do so are like gnats,

which make a sound which can't be believed when they killed.

So, to cheer him up,

tell him we drink a toast to him.

THAISA

Alas, my father, it befits not me

Unto a stranger knight to be so bold:

He may my proffer take for an offence,

Since men take women's gifts for impudence.

Alas, my father, it's not my place

to be so forward with an unknown knight:

he might take offence at my offer,

since men look at women's gifts as impertinence.

SIMONIDES

How!

Do as I bid you, or you'll move me else.

What!

Do as you're told, or you'll make me angry.

THAISA

[Aside] Now, by the gods, he could not please me better.

By the gods, nothing could make me happier.

SIMONIDES

And furthermore tell him, we desire to know of him,

Of whence he is, his name and parentage.

And also tell him, I want to know about him,

where he's come from, his name and his ancestry.

THAISA

The king my father, sir, has drunk to you.

My father the king, sir, has drunk your health.

PERICLES

I thank him.

 I thank him.

THAISA

Wishing it so much blood unto your life.

And he wishes you a long life.

PERICLES