The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (930 page)

Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.

CORNWALL

Edmund, farewell.

Exeunt GONERIL, EDMUND, and OSWALD

Go seek the traitor Gloucester,

Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us.

Exeunt other Servants

Though well we may not pass upon his life

Without the form of justice, yet our power

Shall do a courtesy to our wrath, which men

May blame, but not control. Who's there? the traitor?

Enter GLOUCESTER, brought in by two or three

Edmund, farewell.

Go and find the traitor Gloucester,

tie him like a thief, and bring him to me.

Though we should not execute him

without a fair trial, my position

will give way to my anger, which men

may blame, but not control. Who's there? The traitor?

REGAN

Ingrateful fox! 'tis he.

The ungrateful fox! It's him.

CORNWALL

Bind fast his corky arms.

Tie up his withered arms.

GLOUCESTER

What mean your graces? Good my friends, consider

You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends.

What is the meaning of this, your graces? My good friends,

remember that you are my guests: do not harm me, friends.

CORNWALL

Bind him, I say.

Servants bind him

Tie him up, I said.

REGAN

Hard, hard. O filthy traitor!

Make those knots tight. You filthy traitor!

GLOUCESTER

Unmerciful lady as you are, I'm none.

You are a merciless lady, but I'm no traitor.

CORNWALL

To this chair bind him. Villain, thou shalt find--

REGAN plucks his beard

Tie him to this chair. Villain, you will find–

GLOUCESTER

By the kind gods, 'tis most ignobly done

To pluck me by the beard.

By the kind gods, it is an undignified thing,

to pull at my beard.

REGAN

So white, and such a traitor!

So white, and such a traitor!

GLOUCESTER

Naughty lady,

These hairs, which thou dost ravish from my chin,

Will quicken, and accuse thee: I am your host:

With robbers' hands my hospitable favours

You should not ruffle thus. What will you do?

You bad lady,

these hairs, which you pull from my chin,

will come to life, and accuse you: I am your host:

you should not be so violent to your host's face

with your robbing hands. What do you want?

CORNWALL

Come, sir, what letters had you late from France?

Now, sir, what letters did you recently have from France?

REGAN

Be simple answerer, for we know the truth.

Give us a straight answer, because we know the truth.

CORNWALL

And what confederacy have you with the traitors

Late footed in the kingdom?

And what are your links with the traitors

who have recently landed in the kingdom?

REGAN

To whose hands have you sent the lunatic king? Speak.

Where have you sent the lunatic king? Speak.

GLOUCESTER

I have a letter guessingly set down,

Which came from one that's of a neutral heart,

And not from one opposed.

I have a speculative letter,

which came from someone who is neutral,

not an enemy.

CORNWALL

Cunning.

Cunning.

REGAN

And false.

And a lie.

CORNWALL

Where hast thou sent the king?

Where have you sent the King?

GLOUCESTER

To Dover.

To Dover.

REGAN

Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charged at peril--

Why to Dover? Were you not ordered on pain of death–

CORNWALL

Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer that.

Why to Dover? Let him answer that first.

GLOUCESTER

I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course.

I am at their mercy, I must be strong.

REGAN

Wherefore to Dover, sir?

Why to Dover, sir?

GLOUCESTER

Because I would not see thy cruel nails

Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister

In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.

The sea, with such a storm as his bare head

In hell-black night endured, would have buoy'd up,

And quench'd the stelled fires:

Yet, poor old heart, he holp the heavens to rain.

If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that stern time,

Thou shouldst have said 'Good porter, turn the key,'

All cruels else subscribed: but I shall see

The winged vengeance overtake such children.

Because I did not want to see your cruel nails

tear out his poor old eyes; nor see your fierce sister

stick her boar's fangs into his God-appointed flesh.

If the sea had to face such a storm as he did

with his bare head in the hell black night, it would have risen up

and put out the light of the stars:

yet, poor old heart, he called on the heavens to rain.

If wolves had howled at your gates at that terrible time,

you should have said, “good Porter, let them in."

Forget all your other cruel deeds, but I shall see

that vengeance will overtake you for your treatment of your father.

CORNWALL

See't shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair.

Upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot.

You never will see it. You men, hold the chair.

I shall kick your eyes out.

GLOUCESTER

He that will think to live till he be old,

Give me some help! O cruel! O you gods!

Anyone who wants a long life,

help me! Oh cruelty! Oh you gods!

REGAN

One side will mock another; the other too.

One side can mock the other; the other will give it back.

CORNWALL

If you see vengeance,--

If you see vengeance–

First Servant

Hold your hand, my lord:

I have served you ever since I was a child;

But better service have I never done you

Than now to bid you hold.

Hold back, my lord:

I have served you ever since I was a child;

but I have never served you so well

as I do now in telling you to stop.

REGAN

How now, you dog!

What's this, you dog!

First Servant

If you did wear a beard upon your chin,

I'd shake it on this quarrel.

If you had a beard on your chin,

I'd pull it in this argument.

REGAN

What do you mean?

What do you mean?

CORNWALL

My villain!

They draw and fight

This is my villain!

First Servant

Nay, then, come on, and take the chance of anger.

Bring it on then, and risk fighting when angry.

REGAN

Give me thy sword. A peasant stand up thus!

Takes a sword, and runs at him behind

Give me your sword. How dare a peasant oppose us like this!

First Servant

O, I am slain! My lord, you have one eye left

To see some mischief on him. O!

Dies

Oh, you've killed me! My lord, you have one eye left

to take revenge. Oh!

CORNWALL

Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly!

Where is thy lustre now?

In case it sees more, we'll stop it. Out with the vile jelly!

Where's your sparkle now?

GLOUCESTER

All dark and comfortless. Where's my son Edmund?

Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature,

To quit this horrid act.

All is dark and cold. Where's my son Edmund?

Edmund, summon up all your strength,

to take revenge for this.

REGAN

Out, treacherous villain!

Thou call'st on him that hates thee: it was he

That made the overture of thy treasons to us;

Who is too good to pity thee.

Forget it, treacherous villain!

You are calling on someone who hates you: it was him

who alerted  us to your treason;

he is too loyal to pity you.

GLOUCESTER

O my follies! then Edgar was abused.

Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him!

How stupid I have been! So Edgar was wronged.

Kind gods, forgive me for that, and help him to prosper!

REGAN

Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell

His way to Dover.

Exit one with GLOUCESTER

How is't, my lord? how look you?

Throw him out of doors, and let him smell

his way to Dover.

How goes it, my lord? How are you?

CORNWALL

I have received a hurt: follow me, lady.

Turn out that eyeless villain; throw this slave

Upon the dunghill. Regan, I bleed apace:

Untimely comes this hurt: give me your arm.

Exit CORNWALL, led by REGAN

I have been wounded: follow me, lady.

Throw out that blind villain; throw this slave

on the dungheap. Regan, I'm bleeding badly:

this is a bad time to be wounded: give me your arm.

Second Servant

I'll never care what wickedness I do,

If this man come to good.

I'll never care about doing wicked things,

if this man comes to judgement.

Third Servant

If she live long,

And in the end meet the old course of death,

Women will all turn monsters.

If a woman lives long enough,

and finds a natural death,

she will always become a monster.

Second Servant

Let's follow the old earl, and get the Bedlam

To lead him where he would: his roguish madness