The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Read Online Free PDF Page A

breath?
    King Philip, determine what we shall do straight.
     
    Who is this braggart who is deafening us
    with all these wasted words?
    King Philip, decide what we shall do at once.
     
    KING PHILIP.
    Women and fools, break off your conference.
    King John, this is the very sum of all:
    England and Ireland, Anjou, Touraine, Maine,
    In right of Arthur, do I claim of thee;
    Wilt thou resign them and lay down thy arms?
     
    Women and fools, stop your chatter.
    King John, this is the heart of the matter:
    I claim England and Ireland, Anjou, Touraine
    and Maine from you as Arthur's rightful property;
    will you give them up and put down your weapons?
     
    KING JOHN.
    My life as soon. I do defy thee, France.
    Arthur of Britaine, yield thee to my hand,
    And out of my dear love I'll give thee more
    Than e'er the coward hand of France can win.
    Submit thee, boy.
     
    I would as soon give up my life. I defy you, France.
    Arthur of Brittany, surrender to me,
    and in my dear love I will give you more
    then the cowardly hand of France could ever win for you.
    Surrender, boy.
     
    ELINOR.
    Come to thy grandam, child.
     
    Come to your grandmother, child.
     
    CONSTANCE.
    Do, child, go to it grandam, child;
    Give grandam kingdom, and it grandam will
    Give it a plum, a cherry, and a fig.
    There's a good grandam!
     
    Go on, child, go to your grandmother, child;
    give grandmother a kingdom, and your grandmother will
    give you a plum, a cherry, and a fig.
    What a good grandmother!
     
    ARTHUR.
    Good my mother, peace!
    I would that I were low laid in my grave:
    I am not worth this coil that's made for me.
     
    My good mother, quiet!
    I wish I was dead in my grave:
    I'm not worth the fuss that's being made for me.
     
    ELINOR.
    His mother shames him so, poor boy, he weeps.
     
    He's so ashamed of his mother, poor boy, that he's crying.
     
    CONSTANCE.
    Now shame upon you, whe'er she does or no!
    His grandam's wrongs, and not his mother's shames,
    Draws those heaven-moving pearls from his poor eyes,
    Which heaven shall take in nature of a fee;
    Ay, with these crystal beads heaven shall be brib'd
    To do him justice and revenge on you.
     
    The shame is new, whether she does or not!
    His grandmother's sins, not the shame of his mother,
    is what draws those heavenly tears from his poor eyes,
    which heaven shall take as payment;
    yes, with those crystal beads heaven will be bribed
    to give him justice and take revenge on you.
     
    ELINOR.
    Thou monstrous slanderer of heaven and earth!
     
    You monstrous slanderer of heaven and earth!
     
    CONSTANCE.
    Thou monstrous injurer of heaven and earth,
    Call not me slanderer! Thou and thine usurp
    The dominations, royalties, and rights,
    Of this oppressed boy; this is thy eldest son's son,
    Infortunate in nothing but in thee.
    Thy sins are visited in this poor child;
    The canon of the law is laid on him,
    Being but the second generation
    Removed from thy sin-conceiving womb.
     
    You monstrous offender of heaven and earth,
    do not call me a slanderer! You and yours overthrow
    the territories, royalty and rights
    of this oppressed boy; this is the son of your eldest son,
    and being related to you is his only imperfection.
    Your sin is visited on this poor child;
    the law of the church demands it,
    as he is only two generations
    away from your sinful womb.
     
    KING JOHN.
    Bedlam, have done.
     
    Madwoman, that's enough.
     
    CONSTANCE.
    I have but this to say-
    That he is not only plagued for her sin,
    But God hath made her sin and her the plague
    On this removed issue, plagued for her
    And with her plague; her sin his injury,
    Her injury the beadle to her sin;
    All punish'd in the person of this child,
    And all for her-a plague upon her!
     
    I've only got this to say–
    that not only is he being punished for her sin,
    but God has made her sin and her the curse
    on this descendant, cursed by her
    with her own curse; her sin harms him,
    driving on his punishment;
    it all falls upon this child,
    and all because