The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (8 page)

No feather in any English helmet

has been removed by any French soldier;

our banners are coming back in the same hands

who carried them away from here;

our lusty Englishmen are coming like a

band of jolly huntsmen, with purple hands,

dyed with the blood of their enemies.

Open your gates and let the victors in.

CITIZEN.

Heralds, from off our tow'rs we might behold

From first to last the onset and retire

Of both your armies, whose equality

By our best eyes cannot be censured.

Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answer'd blows;

Strength match'd with strength, and power confronted power;

Both are alike, and both alike we like.

One must prove greatest. While they weigh so even,

We hold our town for neither, yet for both.

Heralds, from our towers we could see

from beginning to end the attack and retreat

of both your armies, and our sharpest eyed men

could not see any difference between them.

Blood has been paid for with blood, and blows have answered blows;

strength was matched with strength, and power attacked power;

you are both alike, and we like you both the same.

One of you must show yourself as greatest. While you are so evenly matched,

our town shall not acknowledge either, while acknowledging both.

Enter the two KINGS, with their powers, at several doors

KING JOHN.

France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away?

Say, shall the current of our right run on?

Whose passage, vex'd with thy impediment,

Shall leave his native channel and o'erswell

With course disturb'd even thy confining shores,

Unless thou let his silver water keep

A peaceful progress to the ocean.

France, have you any more blood to throw away?

Tell us, will the stream of our rights keep running?

If you keep blocking its passage it will

leave its natural course and flood

right over your lands,

unless you let its silver water carry on

its peaceful way to the ocean.

KING PHILIP.

England, thou hast not sav'd one drop of blood

In this hot trial more than we of France;

Rather, lost more. And by this hand I swear,

That sways the earth this climate overlooks,

Before we will lay down our just-borne arms,

We'll put thee down, 'gainst whom these arms we bear,

Or add a royal number to the dead,

Gracing the scroll that tells of this war's loss

With slaughter coupled to the name of kings.

England, you have not spilled one drop less of blood

in this battle than we of France have;

in fact, you have lost more. And I swear by this hand,

that rules over the earth under the sky,

that before we lay down our justified weapons

we shall defeat you, whom we carry them against,

or add a royal person to the list of dead,

gracing the scroll of those who fail in this war

by adding the name of Kings to the slaughter.

BASTARD.

Ha, majesty! how high thy glory tow'rs

When the rich blood of kings is set on fire!

O, now doth Death line his dead chaps with steel;

The swords of soldiers are his teeth, his fangs;

And now he feasts, mousing the flesh of men,

In undetermin'd differences of kings.

Why stand these royal fronts amazed thus?

Cry 'havoc!' kings; back to the stained field,

You equal potents, fiery kindled spirits!

Then let confusion of one part confirm

The other's peace. Till then, blows, blood, and death!

Ha, Majesty! How great your glory becomes

when the rich blood of kings is stirred up!

Now Death has covered his dead cheeks with steel;

the soldiers' swords are his teeth, his fangs;

and now he is feasting, tearing up the flesh of men,

not discriminating between Kings and others.

Why are your royal faces looking so confused?

Let out the war cry, kings; go back to the bloody field,

you equal forces, fiery burning spirits!

So let the defeat of one confirm

the rule of the other. Until then, let's have blows, blood and death!

KING JOHN.

Whose party do the townsmen yet admit?

Whose side are the townsmen now on?

KING PHILIP.

Speak, citizens, for England; who's your king?

Speak for England, citizens; who is your king?

CITIZEN.

The King of England, when we know the King.

The King of England, when we know who it is.

KING PHILIP.

Know him in us that here hold up his right.

You can see him in me, upholding his rights.

KING JOHN.

In us that are our own great deputy

And bear possession of our person here,

Lord of our presence, Angiers, and of you.

In me who is upholding his own rights

and has brought himself here to you,

Lord of himself, Angiers, and of you.

CITIZEN.

A greater pow'r than we denies all this;

And till it be undoubted, we do lock

Our former scruple in our strong-barr'd gates;

King'd of our fears, until our fears, resolv'd,

Be by some certain king purg'd and depos'd.

A greater power than us denies all this;

until the question is settled, we shall keep

our doubts behind our strongly barred gates;

we shall be ruled by our fears until they are removed,

overthrown by some true king.

BASTARD.

By heaven, these scroyles of Angiers flout you, kings,

And stand securely on their battlements

As in a theatre, whence they gape and point

At your industrious scenes and acts of death.

Your royal presences be rul'd by me:

Do like the mutines of Jerusalem,

Be friends awhile, and both conjointly bend

Your sharpest deeds of malice on this town.

By east and west let France and England mount

Their battering cannon, charged to the mouths,

Till their soul-fearing clamours have brawl'd down

The flinty ribs of this contemptuous city.

I'd play incessantly upon these jades,

Even till unfenced desolation

Leave them as naked as the vulgar air.

That done, dissever your united strengths

And part your mingled colours once again,

Turn face to face and bloody point to point;

Then in a moment Fortune shall cull forth

Out of one side her happy minion,

To whom in favour she shall give the day,

And kiss him with a glorious victory.

How like you this wild counsel, mighty states?

Smacks it not something of the policy?

By heaven, these scoundrels of Angiers are mocking you, Kings,

standing as safely on their battlements as

they would in a theatre, from where they gape and point

at all your hard work and your deaths.

Let your royal persons be ruled by me:

be like the mutineers in Jerusalem,

become allies for a while and both together

launch your hardest attacks against this town.

Let France and England from the East and West

aim their battering cannon, fully charged,

until their terrifying rage has smashed down

the stone walls of this arrogant city:

I would smash away at these poor creatures

until they are left exposed to the

open air, with no protection.

Once you've done that, untangle your forces,

and separate your joint flags once again;

face each other again, bloody point to point;

then, in that instant, Fortune will choose

whom she favours out of the two sides,

and she shall allow him to triumph,

and reward him with a glorious victory.

What do you think of this daring advice, great Kings?

Don't you think it sounds cunning?

KING JOHN.

Now, by the sky that hangs above our heads,

I like it well. France, shall we knit our pow'rs

And lay this Angiers even with the ground;

Then after fight who shall be king of it?

Now, I swear by the heavens above,

I like it. France, shall we join forces

to raze this Angiers to the ground,

and then afterwards fight for who shall be king of it?

BASTARD.

An if thou hast the mettle of a king,

Being wrong'd as we are by this peevish town,

Turn thou the mouth of thy artillery,

As we will ours, against these saucy walls;

And when that we have dash'd them to the ground,

Why then defy each other, and pell-mell

Make work upon ourselves, for heaven or hell.

If you have the spirit of the King,

having been insulted as we have been by this petulant town,

turn the muzzles of your artillery,

as we will, against their cheeky walls;

and when we have smashed them to the ground,

well then we will fight each other, and chaotically

attack ourselves, for better or for worse.

KING PHILIP.

Let it be so. Say, where will you assault?

I agree. Tell me where you will attack?

KING JOHN.

We from the west will send destruction

Into this city's bosom.

I shall send my forces into the heart of the city

from the West.

AUSTRIA.

I from the north.

I shall attack from the North.

KING PHILIP.

Our thunder from the south

Shall rain their drift of bullets on this town.

We shall rain a storm of bullets on this town

from the South.

BASTARD.

[Aside]O prudent discipline! From north to south,

Austria and France shoot in each other's mouth.

I'll stir them to it.-Come, away, away!

A clever plan! From North to South

Austria and France will be shooting at each other.

I'll encourage them to do it.–Come, let's go, let's go!

CITIZEN.

Hear us, great kings: vouchsafe awhile to stay,

And I shall show you peace and fair-fac'd league;

Win you this city without stroke or wound;

Rescue those breathing lives to die in beds

That here come sacrifices for the field.

Persever not, but hear me, mighty kings.

Hear us, great Kings: agree to wait a while,

and I will show you peace and sweet agreement;

you can win this city without any losses;

you can let those who have come here to sacrifice themselves

on the battlefield die in their beds.

Do not carry on, but listen to me, mighty kings.