The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (128 page)

LAN.

Not I, my lord, unless I did bleed too.

Not me, my lord, unless I am bleeding too.

PRINCE.

I do beseech your Majesty, make up,

Lest your retirement do amaze your friends.

I beg your Majesty, go to the front,

so your retreat doesn't worry your friends.

KING.

I will do so.--

My Lord of Westmoreland, lead him to his tent.

I will do so.

My Lord of Westmorland, take him to his tent.

WEST.

Come, my lord, I'll lead you to your tent.

Come, my lord, I'll take you to your tent.

PRINCE.

Lead me, my lord?I do not need your help:

And God forbid, a shallow scratch should drive

The Prince of Wales from such a field as this,

Where stain'd nobility lies trodden on,

And rebels' arms triumph in massacres!

Take me, my lord? I do not need your help:

and God forbid that a little scratch would drive

the Prince of Wales from a battlefield like this,

where nobility has been insulted and trodden on,

and the rebels are triumphing in a massacre!

LAN.

We breathe too long:--come, cousin Westmoreland,

Our duty this way lies; for God's sake, come.

We have been talking too long: come, cousin Westmoreland,

this is where our duty lies; for God's sake, come.

[Exeunt Lancaster and Westmoreland.]

PRINCE.

By Heaven, thou hast deceived me, Lancaster;

I did not think thee lord of such a spirit:

Before, I loved thee as a brother, John;

But now I do respect thee as my soul.

By heaven, you have deceived me, Lancaster;

I did not think you were a Lord of such spirit:

before, I loved you as a brother, John;

but now I respect you as my equal.

KING.

I saw him hold Lord Percy at the point

With lustier maintenance than I did look for

Of such an ungrown warrior.

I saw him fighting Lord Percy with his sword

with more fortitude than I expected

from such a young soldier.

PRINCE.

O, this boy

Lends mettle to us all!

Oh, this boy

puts spirit in us all!

[Exit.]

[Alarums. Enter Douglas.]

DOUG.

Another king! they grow like Hydra's heads:

I am the Douglas, fatal to all those

That wear those colours on them.--What art thou,

That counterfeit'st the person of a king?

Another king! They grow like the heads of a Hydra–

I am Douglas, fatal to all those

who wear the uniform. Who are you,

who imitates the King?

KING.

The King himself; who, Douglas, grieves at heart

So many of his shadows thou hast met,

And not the very King. I have two boys

Seek Percy and thyself about the field:

But, seeing thou fall'st on me so luckily,

I will assay thee; so, defend thyself.

I am the King himself; and Douglas, I am very sorry

that you have met so many of my imitators,

and not the true king. I have two boys

who are looking for you and Percy on the battlefield:

but, as you have so fortunately found me,

I'll put you to the test; so, defend yourself.

DOUG.

I fear thou art another counterfeit;

And yet, in faith, thou bear'st thee like a king:

But mine I'm sure thou art, whoe'er thou be,

And thus I win thee.

I fear you're another imposter;

and yet, I swear, you carry yourself like a king:

but whoever you are, I'm sure you're mine,

and so I will finish you.

[They fight; the King being in danger, re-enter Prince Henry.]

PRINCE.

Hold up thy head, vile Scot, or thou art like

Never to hold it up again! the spirits

Of valiant Shirley, Stafford, Blunt are in my arms:

It is the Prince of Wales that threatens thee;

Who never promiseth but he means to pay.--

[They fight:Douglas flies.]

Cheerly, my lord:how fares your Grace?

Sir Nicholas Gawsey hath for succour sent,

And so hath Clifton:I'll to Clifton straight.

Lift up your head, vile Scot, or you may

never hold it up again! The ghosts

of brave Shirley, Stafford and Blunt strengthened me:

it is the Prince of Wales who threatens you;

who never makes threats without backing them up.

Hello, my lord: how is your Grace doing?

Sir Nicholas Gawsey has called for assistance,

and so has Clifton: I'll go straight to Clifton.

KING.

Stay, and breathe awhile:

Thou hast redeem'd thy lost opinion;

And show'd thou makest some tender of my life,

In this fair rescue thou hast brought to me.

Wait, and catch your breath:

you have won back my good opinion of you;

and showed that you care about my life,

by undertaking this good rescue.

PRINCE.

O God, they did me too much injury

That ever said I hearken'd for your death!

If it were so, I might have let alone

Th' insulting hand of Douglas over you,

Which would have been as speedy in your end

As all the poisonous potions in the world,

And saved the treacherous labour of your son.

Oh God, anyone who said I yearned for your death

was doing me an injustice!

If that were the case, I could have let

the haughty hand of Douglas remain over you,

which would have given you as quick a death

as all the poisons in the world,

and saved your son having to commit any treachery.

KING.

Make up to Clifton:I'll to Sir Nicholas Gawsey.

You go to Clifton: I'll go to Sir Nicholas Gawsey.

[Exit.]

[Enter Hotspur.]

HOT.

If I mistake not, thou art Harry Monmouth.

If I'm not mistaken, you are Harry Monmouth.

PRINCE.

Thou speak'st as if I would deny my name.

You speak as if I would deny it.

HOT.

My name is Harry Percy.

My name is Harry Percy.

PRINCE.

Why, then I see

A very valiant rebel of the name.

I am the Prince of Wales; and think not, Percy,

To share with me in glory any more:

Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere;

Nor can one England brook a double reign,

Of Harry Percy and the Prince of Wales.

Well then, I see

a very brave rebel of that name.

I am the Prince of Wales; and do not think, Percy,

that you can be equal with me in glory any more:

two stars cannot share the same orbit;

and England cannot be ruled by both

Harry Percy and the Prince of Wales.

HOT.

Nor shall it, Harry; for the hour is come

To end the one of us; and would to God

Thy name in arms were now as great as mine!

And it shall not be, Harry; for the time has come

for one of us to die; and I wish to God

that your reputation as a soldier was as great as mine!

PRINCE.

I'll make it greater ere I part from thee;

And all the budding honours on thy crest

I'll crop, to make a garland for my head.

I'll make it greater before I leave you;

and I'll take all those feathers of your helmet

to make a garland for my head.

HOT.

I can no longer brook thy vanities.

I shan't tolerate your vanity any longer.

[They fight.]

[Enter Falstaff.]

FAL.

Well said, Hal! to it, Hal! Nay, you shall find no boy's

play here, I can tell you.

Well said, Hal! Go to it, Hal! No, you will not find any

schoolboy fighting here, I can tell you.

[Re-enter Douglas; he fights with Falstaff, who falls down as if

he were dead, and exit Douglas. Hotspure is wounded, and falls.]

HOT.

O Harry, thou hast robb'd me of my youth!

I better brook the loss of brittle life

Than those proud titles thou hast won of me;

They wound my thoughts worse than thy sword my flesh:

But thoughts the slave of life, and life Time's fool,

And Time, that takes survey of all the world,

Must have a stop. O, I could prophesy,

But that the earthy and cold hand of death

Lies on my tongue:no, Percy, thou art dust,

And food for--

O Harry, you have stolen my youth away!

I don't mind losing my fragile life

as much as losing those proud titles you have won from me;

that hurts my thoughts more than your sword hurts my flesh:

but thought is the slave of life, and life isthe fool of time,

and time, that controls the whole world,

must come to an end. O, I could make predictions,

but the earthy cold hand of death

has taken my tongue: no, Percy, you are dust,

and food for–

[Dies.]

PRINCE.

For worms, brave Percy:fare thee well, great heart!

Ill-weaved ambition, how much art thou shrunk!

When that this body did contain a spirit,

A kingdom for it was too small a bound;

But now two paces of the vilest earth

Is room enough. This earth that bears thee dead

Bears not alive so stout a gentleman.

If thou wert sensible of courtesy,

I should not make so dear a show of zeal:

But let my favours hide thy mangled face;

And, even in thy behalf, I'll thank myself

For doing these fair rites of tenderness.

Adieu, and take thy praise with thee to Heaven!

Thy ignominy sleep with thee in the grave,

But not remember'd in thy epitaph!--

[Sees Falstaff on the ground.]

What, old acquaintance? could not all this flesh

Keep in a little life? Poor Jack, farewell!

I could have better spared a better man:

O, I should have a heavy miss of thee,

If I were much in love with vanity!

Death hath not struck so fat a deer to-day,

Though many dearer, in this bloody fray.

Embowell'd will I see thee by-and-by:

Till then in blood by noble Percy lie.

For worms, brave Percy: farewell, great heart!