The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (41 page)

you.

I thought, my lord, that I would have learned that from you.

NORTHUMBERLAND.

Why, is he not with the Queen?

Why, is he not with the Queen?

PERCY.

No, my good lord; he hath forsook the court,

Broken his staff of office, and dispers'd

The household of the King.

No, my good lord; he has left the court,

broken his staff of office, and sent away

all the King's servants.

NORTHUMBERLAND.

What was his reason?

He was not so resolv'd when last we spake together.

Why did he do this?

He wasn't that way inclined last time we spoke.

PERCY.

Because your lordship was proclaimed traitor.

But he, my lord, is gone to Ravenspurgh,

To offer service to the Duke of Hereford;

And sent me over by Berkeley, to discover

What power the Duke of York had levied there;

Then with directions to repair to Ravenspurgh.

Because your lordship has been declared a traitor.

But he, my lord, has gone to Ravenspurgh,

to offer his services to the Duke of Hereford;

he sent me over via Berkeley, to discover

what forces the Duke of York had raised there;

then I have orders to go on to Ravenspurgh.

NORTHUMBERLAND.

Have you forgot the Duke of Hereford, boy?

Have you forgotten the Duke of Hereford, boy?

PERCY.

No, my good lord; for that is not forgot

Which ne'er I did remember; to my knowledge,

I never in my life did look on him.

No, my good lord; I can't forget something

which I have never known; as far as I know,

I have never seen him in my life.

NORTHUMBERLAND.

Then learn to know him now; this is the Duke.

Then get to know him now; this is the Duke.

PERCY.

My gracious lord, I tender you my service,

Such as it is, being tender, raw, and young;

Which elder days shall ripen, and confirm

To more approved service and desert.

My gracious lord, I offer you my service,

such as it is, being tender, raw and young;

it will get better with time, and be able

to serve you better, with better reward.

BOLINGBROKE.

I thank thee, gentle Percy; and be sure

I count myself in nothing else so happy

As in a soul rememb'ring my good friends;

And as my fortune ripens with thy love,

It shall be still thy true love's recompense.

My heart this covenant makes, my hand thus seals it.

I thank you, kind Percy; and rest assured

that nothing makes me happier

than remembering my good friends in my heart;

as my fortunes increase with your love,

you shall be rewarded.

I make this contract with my heart, and seal it with a handshake.

NORTHUMBERLAND.

How far is it to Berkeley? And what stir

Keeps good old York there with his men of war?

How far is it to Berkeley? And what event

keeps good old York there with his forces?

PERCY.

There stands the castle, by yon tuft of trees,

Mann'd with three hundred men, as I have heard;

And in it are the Lords of York, Berkeley, and Seymour-

None else of name and noble estimate.

There is the castle, by that stand of trees,

guarded by three hundred men, my reports say;

inside are the Lords of York, Berkeley and Seymour–

nobody else of importance.

Enter Ross and WILLOUGHBY

NORTHUMBERLAND.

Here come the Lords of Ross and Willoughby,

Bloody with spurring, fiery-red with haste.

Here come the Lords of Ross and Willoughby,

their horses are bloody with spurring, they are bright red with hurry.

BOLINGBROKE.

Welcome, my lords. I wot your love pursues

A banish'd traitor. All my treasury

Is yet but unfelt thanks, which, more enrich'd,

Shall be your love and labour's recompense.

Welcome, my lords. I know you're following, for love,

a banished traitor. All I can offer you

at the moment is intangible thanks, but when I get more,

I will reward your love and your efforts.

ROSS.

Your presence makes us rich, most noble lord.

Your presence makes us rich, most noble lord.

WILLOUGHBY.

And far surmounts our labour to attain it.

And is worth far more than the work we had to gain it.

BOLINGBROKE.

Evermore thanks, the exchequer of the poor;

Which, till my infant fortune comes to years,

Stands for my bounty. But who comes here?

More thanks, the Treasury of the poor;

until my potential fortune is realised

take my thanks as an IOU. But who is this?

Enter BERKELEY

NORTHUMBERLAND.

It is my Lord of Berkeley, as I guess.

I think it is my Lord of Berkeley.

BERKELEY.

My Lord of Hereford, my message is to you.

My Lord of Hereford, my message is to you.

BOLINGBROKE.

My lord, my answer is-'to Lancaster';

And I am come to seek that name in England;

And I must find that title in your tongue

Before I make reply to aught you say.

My lord, my answer is–‘to Lancaster’;

I have come to find that title in England;

and you must use it to me

before I reply to anything you say.

BERKELEY.

Mistake me not, my lord; 'tis not my meaning

To raze one title of your honour out.

To you, my lord, I come-what lord you will-

From the most gracious regent of this land,

The Duke of York, to know what pricks you on

To take advantage of the absent time,

And fright our native peace with self-borne arms.

Don't mistake me, my lord; I have no intention

of depriving you of any of your honourable titles.

I come to you, my lord–whatever lord you want to be–

from the most gracious regent of this land,

the Duke of York, to ask why you are

taking advantage of the King's absence

and disturbing the peace of the country with your forces.

Enter YORK, attended

BOLINGBROKE.

I shall not need transport my words by you;

Here comes his Grace in person. My noble uncle!

I don't need to pass on my message through you;

here comes his grace in person. My noble uncle!

[Kneels]

YORK.

Show me thy humble heart, and not thy knee,

Whose duty is deceivable and false.

Show me your humble heart, don't just kneel,

anybody can fake that.

BOLINGBROKE.

My gracious uncle!-

My gracious uncle!–

YORK.

Tut, tut!

Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle.

I am no traitor's uncle; and that word 'grace'

In an ungracious mouth is but profane.

Why have those banish'd and forbidden legs

Dar'd once to touch a dust of England's ground?

But then more 'why?'-why have they dar'd to march

So many miles upon her peaceful bosom,

Frighting her pale-fac'd villages with war

And ostentation of despised arms?

Com'st thou because the anointed King is hence?

Why, foolish boy, the King is left behind,

And in my loyal bosom lies his power.

Were I but now lord of such hot youth

As when brave Gaunt, thy father, and myself

Rescued the Black Prince, that young Mars of men,

From forth the ranks of many thousand French,

O, then how quickly should this arm of mine,

Now prisoner to the palsy, chastise the

And minister correction to thy fault!

Tut tut!

Don't call me your grace, and don't call me uncle.

I am not a traitor's uncle; and that the word “grace"

in the mouth of the ungracious is a blasphemy.

Why have those exiled and banned legs

dared to set foot on a grain of England's soil?

More importantly, why? Why have they dared to march

so many miles across her peaceful lands,

frightening her pale faced villages with war

and flourishing your hated weapons?

Have you come because the God appointed king is not here?

Why, foolish boy, the King has been left behind,

his power lies within my loyal heart.

If I still possessed my passionate youth,

as I did when brave Gaunt, your father, and myself,

rescued the Black Prince, that young earthly Mars,

from out of the ranks of so many thousand Frenchmen,

how quickly then this arm of mine,

now handicapped with shaking, would punish you,

and show you the error of your ways!

BOLINGBROKE.

My gracious uncle, let me know my fault;

On what condition stands it and wherein?

My gracious uncle, let me know what my fault is;

how has it shown itself?

YORK.

Even in condition of the worst degree-

In gross rebellion and detested treason.

Thou art a banish'd man, and here art come

Before the expiration of thy time,

In braving arms against thy sovereign.

By committing the worst thing that can be done–

horrible rebellion and hated treason.

You are an exile, and you have come here

before your term was up,

bearing arms against your king.

BOLINGBROKE.

As I was banish'd, I was banish'd Hereford;

But as I come, I come for Lancaster.

And, noble uncle, I beseech your Grace

Look on my wrongs with an indifferent eye.

You are my father, for methinks in you

I see old Gaunt alive. O, then, my father,

Will you permit that I shall stand condemn'd

A wandering vagabond; my rights and royalties

Pluck'd from my arms perforce, and given away

To upstart unthrifts? Wherefore was I born?

If that my cousin king be King in England,

It must be granted I am Duke of Lancaster.

You have a son, Aumerle, my noble cousin;

Had you first died, and he been thus trod down,

He should have found his uncle Gaunt a father

To rouse his wrongs and chase them to the bay.

I am denied to sue my livery here,

And yet my letters patents give me leave.

My father's goods are all distrain'd and sold;