The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (9 page)

KING JOHN.

Speak on with favour; we are bent to hear.

You may keep talking; we are listening.

CITIZEN.

That daughter there of Spain, the Lady Blanch,

Is niece to England; look upon the years

Of Lewis the Dauphin and that lovely maid.

If lusty love should go in quest of beauty,

Where should he find it fairer than in Blanch?

If zealous love should go in search of virtue,

Where should he find it purer than in Blanch?

If love ambitious sought a match of birth,

Whose veins bound richer blood than Lady Blanch?

Such as she is, in beauty, virtue, birth,

Is the young Dauphin every way complete-

If not complete of, say he is not she;

And she again wants nothing, to name want,

If want it be not that she is not he.

He is the half part of a blessed man,

Left to be finished by such as she;

And she a fair divided excellence,

Whose fulness of perfection lies in him.

O, two such silver currents, when they join,

Do glorify the banks that bound them in;

And two such shores to two such streams made one,

Two such controlling bounds, shall you be, Kings,

To these two princes, if you marry them.

This union shall do more than battery can

To our fast-closed gates; for at this match

With swifter spleen than powder can enforce,

The mouth of passage shall we fling wide ope

And give you entrance; but without this match,

The sea enraged is not half so deaf,

Lions more confident, mountains and rocks

More free from motion-no, not Death himself

In mortal fury half so peremptory

As we to keep this city.

That daughter of Spain there, the Lady Blanche,

is close to King John: look at the age

of the Dauphin Louis and that lovely girl:

if a strong young love should go in search of beauty,

where would he find it better than in her?

If pious love goes in search of goodness,

where would he find itmore pure than in Blanche?

If ambitious love sought a good match,

who has nobler blood in their veins than Lady Blanche?

Everything she is, in beauty, goodness and nobility,

is matched by the young Dauphin:

if he doesn't match it, say he is not her,

and if she is lacking anything he has

then you can say that she is not him:

he is half a part of a blessed man,

waiting to be completed by someone like her;

and she is half of an excellent woman,

who can be completed by him.

Two such silver streams, when they join,

make the country they run through glorious;

and with two such shores, two such streams running into one,

you will be two controlling banks to them, kings,

if you join them together in marriage.

This marriage would be more likely to open our

solidly closed gates than any artillery; if it happened

we would fling our gates wide open faster

than any assault could hope to do,

and let you in: but without the marriage

the raging sea is not half as deaf,

lions not half as confident, mountains and rocks

more still, no, death himself

is not so determined as he seeks out mortals

as we will be in defending our city.

BASTARD.

Here's a stay

That shakes the rotten carcass of old Death

Out of his rags! Here's a large mouth, indeed,

That spits forth death and mountains, rocks and seas;

Talks as familiarly of roaring lions

As maids of thirteen do of puppy-dogs!

What cannoneer begot this lusty blood?

He speaks plain cannon-fire, and smoke and bounce;

He gives the bastinado with his tongue;

Our ears are cudgell'd; not a word of his

But buffets better than a fist of France.

Zounds! I was never so bethump'd with words

Since I first call'd my brother's father dad.

Here's an obstacle

that will shake the rotten carcass of old Death

out of his rags! Here's a brave talker,

who goes on about death and mountains, rocks and seas;

talks as casually about roaring lions

as girls of thirteen do about puppies!

What artillery man fathered this lusty chap?

He speaks like a cannon, with smoke and explosions;

his tongue is like a club,

it cudgels our ears; everything he says

makes a better attack than any blows of France.

By God! I was never so clobbered with words

since I first called my brother's father dad.

ELINOR.

Son, list to this conjunction, make this match;

Give with our niece a dowry large enough;

For by this knot thou shalt so surely tie

Thy now unsur'd assurance to the crown

That yon green boy shall have no sun to ripe

The bloom that promiseth a mighty fruit.

I see a yielding in the looks of France;

Mark how they whisper. Urge them while their souls

Are capable of this ambition,

Lest zeal, now melted by the windy breath

Of soft petitions, pity, and remorse,

Cool and congeal again to what it was.

Son, listen to this scheme, make this marriage;

give a good large dowry with our niece;

for making this marriage you will make your

currently dubious claim to the crown so solid

that that young lad will have no chance

of developing his claim.

I can see doubt in the looks of the French;

look how they whisper. Encourage them while they are

keen on this plan,

in case their keenness, strong at the moment due to

soft petitions, pity and remorse,

cools down again and returns to how it was.

CITIZEN.

Why answer not the double majesties

This friendly treaty of our threat'ned town?

Why do the two kings not answer

this friendly request by our threatened town?

KING PHILIP.

Speak England first, that hath been forward first

To speak unto this city: what say you?

Let England speak first, who was the first one

to speak to this city: what do you say?

KING JOHN.

If that the Dauphin there, thy princely son,

Can in this book of beauty read 'I love,'

Her dowry shall weigh equal with a queen;

For Anjou, and fair Touraine, Maine, Poictiers,

And all that we upon this side the sea-

Except this city now by us besieg'd-

Find liable to our crown and dignity,

Shall gild her bridal bed, and make her rich

In titles, honours, and promotions,

As she in beauty, education, blood,

Holds hand with any princess of the world.

If your princely son, that Dauphin there,

looks at this beauty and loves her,

she shall have a dowry equal to the Queen;

Anjou, fair Touraine, Maine, Poitiers,

and everything that is ours on this side of the Channel–

except for this city we are now besieging–

that is subject to our rule,

will decorate her bridal bed, and make her rich

in titles, honours and promotions,

as rich as she is in beauty, education and nobility,

so that she can match any princess in the world.

KING PHILIP.

What say'st thou, boy? Look in the lady's face.

What do you say, boy? Look at the lady's face.

LEWIS.

I do, my lord, and in her eye I find

A wonder, or a wondrous miracle,

The shadow of myself form'd in her eye;

Which, being but the shadow of your son,

Becomes a sun, and makes your son a shadow.

I do protest I never lov'd myself

Till now infixed I beheld myself

Drawn in the flattering table of her eye.

I am, my lord, and in her eyes I see

something amazing, perhaps a miracle,

the shape of myself formed in her eye;

which, being only the shadow of your son,

becomes a sun, and makes your son a shadow.

I must say that I never loved myself

until now when I see myself

drawn in the flattering mirror of her eyes.

[Whispers with BLANCH]

BASTARD.

[Aside]Drawn in the flattering table of her eye,

Hang'd in the frowning wrinkle of her brow,

And quarter'd in her heart-he doth espy

Himself love's traitor. This is pity now,

That hang'd and drawn and quarter'd there should be

In such a love so vile a lout as he.

Drawn in the flattering mirror of her eyes,

hanged on the frowning wrinkles of her forehead,

and quartered in her heart–he sees himself

as a traitor to love. It's a pity now that

such a vile lout as him should be

hung drawn and quartered there.

BLANCH.

My uncle's will in this respect is mine.

If he see aught in you that makes him like,

That anything he sees which moves his liking

I can with ease translate it to my will;

Or if you will, to speak more properly,

I will enforce it eas'ly to my love.

Further I will not flatter you, my lord,

That all I see in you is worthy love,

Than this: that nothing do I see in you-

Though churlish thoughts themselves should be your judge-

That I can find should merit any hate.

What my uncle wishes in this matter is what I wish.

If he sees anything in you that he likes,

if there is anything about you which makes him like you,

I can certainly make that liking my own;

or if you wish, to be more accurate,

I can easily make it part of my love.

I will not flatter you any further, my lord,

other than to say that all I see in you is

worthy love: but I don't see anything in you–

even judging by the harshest standards–

that gives me any reason to hate you.

KING JOHN.

What say these young ones? What say you, my niece?

What do these young ones say? What do you say, my niece?

BLANCH.

That she is bound in honour still to do

What you in wisdom still vouchsafe to say.

That I am honour bound to do

whatever you wisely decide I should.

KING JOHN.

Speak then, Prince Dauphin; can you love this lady?

You speak then, Prince Dauphin; can you love this lady?

LEWIS.

Nay, ask me if I can refrain from love;

For I do love her most unfeignedly.

No, ask me if I can stop myself loving her;

for I love her without trying.

KING JOHN.

Then do I give Volquessen, Touraine, Maine,