The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (656 page)

If you value them then you’d better clean them up?

LUCETTA

Nay, I was taken up for laying them down:

No, I was scolded for picking them up:
Yet here they shall not lie, for catching cold.

But there will not stay here in case the wind blows them away.

JULIA

I see you have a month's mind to them.

I see you have a fondness for them.

LUCETTA

Ay, madam, you may say what sights you see;

Yes, madam, you may say what you think;
I see things too, although you judge I wink.

I see things too, and while you judge what you see, I close my eyes to it.

JULIA

Come, come; will't please you go?

Come on; would you like to go?

Exeunt

ANTONIO's house.

Enter ANTONIO and PANTHINO

ANTONIO

Tell me, Panthino, what sad talk was that

Panthino, tell me, what was the serious talk with
Wherewith my brother held you in the cloister?

Which my brother kept you in courtyard?

PANTHINO

'Twas of his nephew Proteus, your son.

It was about his nephew Proteus, your son.

ANTONIO

Why, what of him?

Why, what about him?

PANTHINO

He wonder'd that your lordship

He was discussing how your lordship
Would suffer him to spend his youth at home,

Allows him to spend the days of his youth at home,
While other men, of slender reputation,

While other men of lesser standing,
Put forth their sons to seek preferment out:

Send their sons off to seek social advancement:
Some to the wars, to try their fortune there;

Some go to war to try their luck there;
Some to discover islands far away;

Some go to discover islands far away;
Some to the studious universities.

Some go to the academic universities.
For any or for all these exercises,

For any and all of these activities,
He said that Proteus your son was meet,

He said that your son Proteus was suitable,
And did request me to importune you

And he asked me to urge you
To let him spend his time no more at home,

To not let him spend his time at home any more,
Which would be great impeachment to his age,

Which would be a great disservice to him when he is older,
In having known no travel in his youth.

To not have travelled in his youth.

ANTONIO

Nor need'st thou much importune me to that

You don’t need to urge me to do that
Whereon this month I have been hammering.

Since during this month I have been thinking hard.
I have consider'd well his loss of time

I have certainly considered the loss of his youthful days
And how he cannot be a perfect man,

And how he can’t be an accomplished man,
Not being tried and tutor'd in the world:

If he has not been put to the test and learned from being out in the world:
Experience is by industry achieved

Experience is earned by hard work
And perfected by the swift course of time.

And perfected in time as it flies by.
Then tell me, whither were I best to send him?

Tell me then, where should I send him?

PANTHINO

I think your lordship is not ignorant

I believe your lordship is not unaware
How his companion, youthful Valentine,

That his friend, the young Valentine,
Attends the emperor in his royal court.

Is at the royal court of the emperor.

ANTONIO

I know it well.

I know that well.

PANTHINO

'Twere good, I think, your lordship sent him thither:

It would be good, I think, if your lordship send him there:
There shall he practise tilts and tournaments,

There he can practice jousting and tournaments,
Hear sweet discourse, converse with noblemen.

Hear fine conversation, associate himself with noblemen.
And be in eye of every exercise

And be able to see every custom
Worthy his youth and nobleness of birth.

That is appropriate of his youth and noble birth.

ANTONIO

I like thy counsel; well hast thou advised:

I like your advice: you have advised me well:
And that thou mayst perceive how well I like it,

And so that you may see how well I like it,
The execution of it shall make known.

I will carry it out to show you.
Even with the speediest expedition

With the quickest haste
I will dispatch him to the emperor's court.

I will send him away to the emperor’s court.

PANTHINO

To-morrow, may it please you, Don Alphonso,

Tomorrow, if you like, Don Alphonso,
With other gentlemen of good esteem,

And other gentlemen of high status,
Are journeying to salute the emperor

Are travelling to pay their respects to the emperor
And to commend their service to his will.

And to hand over their service to his command.

ANTONIO

Good company; with them shall Proteus go:

They are good company; Proteus will go with them:
And, in good time! now will we break with him.

And soon! No we will tell him about this.

Enter PROTEUS

PROTEUS

Sweet love! sweet lines! sweet life!

Sweet love! Sweet words! Sweet life!
Here is her hand, the agent of her heart;

Here is her handwriting, which conveys her feelings;
Here is her oath for love, her honour's pawn.

Here is her promise of love, her pledge of honor.
O, that our fathers would applaud our loves,

Oh, how our fathers will approve of our love,
To seal our happiness with their consents!

And finalize our happiness with their consent to our marriage!
O heavenly Julia!

Oh, heavenly Julia!

ANTONIO

How now! what letter are you reading there?

What’s this! What letter are you reading there?

PROTEUS

May't please your lordship, 'tis a word or two

If you would like to know, my lord, it’s a letter
Of commendations sent from Valentine,

Of good wishes sent from Valentine,
Deliver'd by a friend that came from him.

Delivered to me by a friend that he sent.

ANTONIO

Lend me the letter; let me see what news.

Hand me the letter; let me see what news it tells.

PROTEUS

There is no news, my lord, but that he writes

There is no news, my lord, he just writes on
How happily he lives, how well beloved

How happily he’s living, how he’s well liked
And daily graced by the emperor;

And daily favored by the emperor;
Wishing me with him, partner of his fortune.

And wishes that I were with him, as partner to his good fortune.

ANTONIO

And how stand you affected to his wish?

And how do you feel about his wish?

PROTEUS

As one relying on your lordship's will

I feel that it relies on what you want, my lord,
And not depending on his friendly wish.

And doesn’t depend on my friend’s wish.

ANTONIO

My will is something sorted with his wish.

What I want is somewhat in agreement with his wish.
Muse not that I thus suddenly proceed;

Don’t be surprised that I so suddenly bring this up;
For what I will, I will, and there an end.

Since what I want, I want and there the discussion ends.
I am resolved that thou shalt spend some time

I am determined that you will spend some time
With Valentinus in the emperor's court:

With Valentine in the emperor’s court:
What maintenance he from his friends receives,

What funds he received from his friends,
Like exhibition thou shalt have from me.

As an allowance you will receive from me.
To-morrow be in readiness to go:

Tomorrow be ready to go:
Excuse it not, for I am peremptory.

Don’t decline, because I am absolutely decided.

PROTEUS

My lord, I cannot be so soon provided:

My lord, I can’t be ready so soon:
Please you, deliberate a day or two.

Please, think about to for a day or two.

ANTONIO

Look what thou want'st shall be sent after thee:

Whatever you need will be gathered for you:
No more of stay! to-morrow thou must go.

Don’t talk anymore of staying! Tomorrow you will go.
Come on, Panthino: you shall be employ'd

Come on, Panthino: you will work
To hasten on his expedition.

To make his journey come together quickly.

Exeunt ANTONIO and PANTHINO

PROTEUS

Thus have I shunn'd the fire for fear of burning,

And so I have jumped away from the fire since I was afraid to be burned
And drench'd me in the sea, where I am drown'd.

And soaked myself in the sea instead, where I have drowned
I fear'd to show my father Julia's letter,

I was afraid to show Julia’s letter to my father,
Lest he should take exceptions to my love;

In case he should disprove of my love;
And with the vantage of mine own excuse

And with the use of my own excuse
Hath he excepted most against my love.

He has made the biggest obstacle to my love.
O, how this spring of love resembleth

Oh, how this love is like spring, and resembles
The uncertain glory of an April day,

The uncertain beauty of a day in April,
Which now shows all the beauty of the sun,

Which in one moment is sunny and beautiful,
And by and by a cloud takes all away!

And in another a cloud takes all that away!

Re-enter PANTHINO

PANTHINO

Sir Proteus, your father calls for you:

Sir Proteus, your father is asking for you:
He is in haste; therefore, I pray you to go.

He is in a hurry: so, I ask you to please go.

PROTEUS

Why, this it is: my heart accords thereto,