The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (97 page)

I thought the souls of those whom Richard had murdered

came to my tent and urged me on to victory.

I promise you my soul is very cheerful

remembering such a good dream.

How far are we into the morning, lords?

LORDS.

Upon the stroke of four.

It's exactly four.

RICHMOND.

Why, then 'tis time to arm and give direction.

His ORATION to his SOLDIERS

More than I have said, loving countrymen,

The leisure and enforcement of the time

Forbids to dwell upon; yet remember this:

God and our good cause fight upon our side;

The prayers of holy saints and wronged souls,

Like high-rear'd bulwarks, stand before our faces;

Richard except, those whom we fight against

Had rather have us win than him they follow.

For what is he they follow? Truly, gentlemen,

A bloody tyrant and a homicide;

One rais'd in blood, and one in blood establish'd;

One that made means to come by what he hath,

And slaughtered those that were the means to help him;

A base foul stone, made precious by the foil

Of England's chair, where he is falsely set;

One that hath ever been God's enemy.

Then if you fight against God's enemy,

God will in justice ward you as his soldiers;

If you do sweat to put a tyrant down,

You sleep in peace, the tyrant being slain;

If you do fight against your country's foes,

Your country's foes shall pay your pains the hire;

If you do fight in safeguard of your wives,

Your wives shall welcome home the conquerors;

If you do free your children from the sword,

Your children's children quits it in your age.

Then, in the name of God and all these rights,

Advance your standards, draw your willing swords.

For me, the ransom of my bold attempt

Shall be this cold corpse on the earth's cold face;

But if I thrive, the gain of my attempt

The least of you shall share his part thereof.

Sound drums and trumpets boldly and cheerfully;

God and Saint George! Richmond and victory!

Why then, it's time to arm and give orders.

There is not time, loving countrymen

to say more than I have said.

But remember this:

God, and our justified cause, fight on our side;

the prayers of holy saints and wronged souls

rise up before us like battlements.

Apart from Richard, those whom we fight

would rather that we won than him.

For who is he that they follow? Truly, gentlemen,

a bloody tyrant and a murderer;

one advanced through bloody deeds, and put in his position by them;

one who made plans to win what he has,

and murdered those who helped him with his plans;

he is a foul pebble, whose only value is the setting

of England's throne, where he has been falsely placed;

someone who has always been an enemy to God.

 So, if you fight against the enemy of God,

God will, in his justice, reward you as his soldiers;

if you work hard to destroy a tyrant,

you will sleep in peace, when the tyrant is slain;

if you fight against the enemies of your country,

the wealth of your country shall reward you;

if you fight to protect your wives,

your wives shall welcome home the conquerors;

if you release your children from the threat of the sword,

your grandchildren will pay you back for it when you are old.

So, in the name of God and all these things,

advance your banners, draw your winning swords!

If I fail in my bold attempt

I shall pay for it with my death;

but if I succeed, you shall share in the

proceeds of victory.

Ring out, drums and trumpets, boldly and cheerfully!

For God and St George! Richmond and victory!

Exeunt

Re-enter KING RICHARD, RATCLIFF, attendants,

and forces

KING RICHARD.

What said Northumberland as touching

Richmond?

What did Northumberland say about Richmond?

RATCLIFF.

That he was never trained up in arms.

That he was never trained as a soldier.

KING RICHARD.

He said the truth; and what said Surrey

then?

He was speaking the truth; and what did Surrey reply?

RATCLIFF.

He smil'd, and said 'The better for our purpose.'

He smiled, and said, ‘All the better for us.'

KING.

He was in the right; and so indeed it is.

[Clock strikes]

Tell the clock there. Give me a calendar.

Who saw the sun to-day?

He was right; it certainly is.

Count the strokes of the clock. Give me a calendar.

Who saw the sun today?

RATCLIFF.

Not I, my lord.

Not me, my lord.

KING RICHARD.

Then he disdains to shine; for by the book

He should have brav'd the east an hour ago.

A black day will it be to somebody.

Ratcliff!

Then he's refusing to shine; for the book says

he should have risen in the east an hour ago.

It will be a black day for somebody.

Ratcliffe!

RATCLIFF.

My lord?

My lord?

KING RICHARD.

The sun will not be seen to-day;

The sky doth frown and lour upon our army.

I would these dewy tears were from the ground.

Not shine to-day! Why, what is that to me

More than to Richmond? For the selfsame heaven

That frowns on me looks sadly upon him.

The sun will not be seen today;

the sky is frowning and bearing down on our army.

I wish this dew would rise from the ground.

Not shine today! Why, why should that mean more to me

than it does to Richmond? The very same heaven

that frowns on me is looking sadly on him.

Enter NORFOLK

NORFOLK.

Arm, arm, my lord; the foe vaunts in the field.

Arm yourself, my lord; the enemy is in the field.

KING RICHARD.

Come, bustle, bustle; caparison my horse;

Call up Lord Stanley, bid him bring his power.

I will lead forth my soldiers to the plain,

And thus my battle shall be ordered:

My foreward shall be drawn out all in length,

Consisting equally of horse and foot;

Our archers shall be placed in the midst.

John Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Earl of Surrey,

Shall have the leading of this foot and horse.

They thus directed, we will follow

In the main battle, whose puissance on either side

Shall be well winged with our chiefest horse.

This, and Saint George to boot! What think'st thou,

Norfolk?

Come, hurry, hurry; dress my horse;

call up Lord Stanley, tell him to bring his forces.

I will lead my soldiers onto the battlefield,

and this is how we shall fight:

my front line shall be stretched out,

comprised of equal numbers of cavalry and infantry;

our archers shall be placed in the middle.

John, Duke of Norfolk, and Thomas, Earl of Surrey,

shall lead the cavalry and infantry;

with them doing that, I shall follow

with the main force, whose strength shall be

well enforced on either side with our best cavalry.

This, and St George as well! What do you think, Norfolk?

NORFOLK.

A good direction, warlike sovereign.

This found I on my tent this morning.

A good plan, soldierly King.

I found this on my tent this morning.

[He sheweth him a paper]

KING RICHARD.

[Reads]

'Jockey of Norfolk, be not so bold,

For Dickon thy master is bought and sold.'

A thing devised by the enemy.

Go, gentlemen, every man unto his charge.

Let not our babbling dreams affright our souls;

Conscience is but a word that cowards use,

Devis'd at first to keep the strong in awe.

Our strong arms be our conscience, swords our law.

March on, join bravely, let us to it pell-mell;

If not to heaven, then hand in hand to hell.

His ORATION to his ARMY

What shall I say more than I have inferr'd?

Remember whom you are to cope withal-

A sort of vagabonds, rascals, and runaways,

A scum of Britaines, and base lackey peasants,

Whom their o'er-cloyed country vomits forth

To desperate adventures and assur'd destruction.

You sleeping safe, they bring to you unrest;

You having lands, and bless'd with beauteous wives,

They would restrain the one, distain the other.

And who doth lead them but a paltry fellow,

Long kept in Britaine at our mother's cost?

A milk-sop, one that never in his life

Felt so much cold as over shoes in snow?

Let's whip these stragglers o'er the seas again;

Lash hence these over-weening rags of France,

These famish'd beggars, weary of their lives;

Who, but for dreaming on this fond exploit,

For want of means, poor rats, had hang'd themselves.

If we be conquered, let men conquer us,

And not these bastard Britaines, whom our fathers

Have in their own land beaten, bobb'd, and thump'd,

And, in record, left them the heirs of shame.

Shall these enjoy our lands? lie with our wives,

Ravish our daughters?[Drum afar off]Hark! I hear their

drum.

Fight, gentlemen of England! Fight, bold yeomen!

Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head!

Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood;

Amaze the welkin with your broken staves!

Enter a MESSENGER

What says Lord Stanley? Will he bring his power?

‘Jockey of Norfolk, don't be so brave:

Dick your master is accounted for.’

Something invented by the enemy.

Go, gentlemen: everyone take your command!

Don't let our foolish dreams worry our souls;

conscience is just a word that cowards use,

invented to control the strong.

Our strong arms are our conscience, our swords are our law.

March on! Fight bravely. Let us go fiercely–

if not to heaven, then hand-in-hand to hell!

What can I say, more than I have already suggested?

Remember whom you are fighting:

vagabonds, rascals and runaways;

a scum of Frenchmen and lowdown peasants,

whom their packed country has vomited out