The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (853 page)

 

Let me finish the story:

I killed him there.

 

CYMBELINE.

Marry, the gods forfend!

I would not thy good deeds should from my lips

Pluck a hard sentence. Prithee, valiant youth,

Deny't again.

 

Please, gods, don't let that be true!

I wouldn't want to have to speak harshly to you

after your good deeds.Please, brave youth,

deny it again.

 

GUIDERIUS.

I have spoke it, and I did it.

 

I have said it, and I did it.

 

CYMBELINE.

He was a prince.

 

He was a prince.

 

GUIDERIUS.

A most incivil one. The wrongs he did me

Were nothing prince-like; for he did provoke me

With language that would make me spurn the sea,

If it could so roar to me. I cut off's head,

And am right glad he is not standing here

To tell this tale of mine.

 

A very rude one.The wrongs he did me

were nothing princely; he provoked me

with language that would make me fight the sea,

if it roared at me like that.I cut off his head,

and I'm very glad it's him, not me, who survived

to tell this tale.

 

CYMBELINE.

I am sorry for thee.

By thine own tongue thou art condemn'd, and must

Endure our law. Thou'rt dead.

 

I am sorry for you.

you have been condemned by your own words, and must

face the punishment of the law.You are dead.

 

IMOGEN.

That headless man

I thought had been my lord.

 

I thought that headless man

was my lord.

 

CYMBELINE.

Bind the offender,

And take him from our presence.

 

Tie up the offender,

and take him away.

 

BELARIUS.

Stay, sir King.

This man is better than the man he slew,

As well descended as thyself, and hath

More of thee merited than a band of Clotens

Had ever scar for. [To the guard] Let his arms alone;

They were not born for bondage.

 

Wait, sir King.

This man is better than the man he killed,

as noble as yourself, and deserves more from you

than a whole band of Clotens

ever did. [To the guard] Leave his arms alone;

they were not born to be tied.

 

CYMBELINE.

Why, old soldier,

Wilt thou undo the worth thou art unpaid for

By tasting of our wrath? How of descent

As good as we?

 

Why, old soldier,

are you going to undo the good things you have yet

to be paid for, by making me angry?How can he be

as noble as me?

 

ARVIRAGUS.

In that he spake too far.

 

He said too much, saying that.

 

CYMBELINE.

And thou shalt die for't.

 

And you shall die for it.

 

BELARIUS.

We will die all three;

But I will prove that two on's are as good

As I have given out him. My sons, I must

For mine own part unfold a dangerous speech,

Though haply well for you.

 

All three of us will die;

But I will prove that two of us are as good

as I have told him.My sons, I must

say something that will be dangerous for me,

though it might be good for you.

 

ARVIRAGUS.

Your danger's ours.

 

We share your danger.

 

GUIDERIUS.

And our good his.

 

And we share our good.

 

BELARIUS.

Have at it then by leave!

Thou hadst, great King, a subject who

Was call'd Belarius.

 

Well then, let's speak of it!

You had, great King, a subject who

was called Belarius.

 

CYMBELINE.

What of him? He is

A banish'd traitor.

 

What about him?He is

an exiled traitor.

 

BELARIUS.

He it is that hath

Assum'd this age; indeed a banish'd man;

I know not how a traitor.

 

It's him who is this old man

in front of you; certainly an exile,

but I don't know how I’m a traitor.

 

CYMBELINE.

Take him hence,

The whole world shall not save him.

 

Take him away.

Nothing shall save him.

 

BELARIUS.

Not too hot.

First pay me for the nursing of thy sons,

And let it be confiscate all, so soon

As I have receiv'd it.

 

Don't be so hasty.

First pay me for raising your sons,

and let it all be confiscated, as soon

as you've paid me.

 

CYMBELINE.

Nursing of my sons?

 

Raising my sons?

 

BELARIUS.

I am too blunt and saucy: here's my knee.

Ere I arise I will prefer my sons;

Then spare not the old father. Mighty sir,

These two young gentlemen that call me father,

And think they are my sons, are none of mine;

They are the issue of your loins, my liege,

And blood of your begetting.

 

I am too rude and cheeky: I shall kneel.

Before I get up I will offer you my sons;

then don't spare the old father.Great sir,

these two young gentlemen who call me father,

and think they are my sons, are no sons of mine;

they were fathered by you, my lord,

they share your blood.

 

CYMBELINE.

How? my issue?

 

What?I fathered them?

 

BELARIUS.

So sure as you your father's. I, old Morgan,

Am that Belarius whom you sometime banish'd.

Your pleasure was my ne're offence, my punishment

Itself, and all my treason; that I suffer'd

Was all the harm I did. These gentle princes-

For such and so they are- these twenty years

Have I train'd up; those arts they have as

Could put into them. My breeding was, sir, as

Your Highness knows. Their nurse, Euriphile,

Whom for the theft I wedded, stole these children

Upon my banishment; I mov'd her to't,

Having receiv'd the punishment before

For that which I did then. Beaten for loyalty

Excited me to treason. Their dear loss,

The more of you 'twas felt, the more it shap'd

Unto my end of stealing them. But, gracious sir,

Here are your sons again, and I must lose

Two of the sweet'st companions in the world.

The benediction of these covering heavens

Fall on their heads like dew! for they are worthy

To inlay heaven with stars.

 

As certainly as your father did you.I, old Morgan,

am that Belarius whom you once banished.

I did nothing wrong, there was no treason, and my

punishment came from your imagination.The only wrong

was my suffering.These gentle princes -

for that is what they are - I have raised for the last

twenty years; they have such accomplishments

as I could give them.My ancestry was, sir, as

you know.Their nurse, Euriphile,

whom I married for carrying out the theft, stole these children

when I was exiled; I persuaded her to do it,

having already got the punishment

before I did the crime.Being punished when loyal

moved me to commit treason.Their huge loss,

the more you felt it, the more it made

me determined to steal them.But, gracious sir,

here are your sons back again, and I must lose

two of the sweetest companions in the world.

May the blessings of heaven above

fall on their heads like dew!For they are as good

as the stars in the sky.

 

CYMBELINE.

Thou weep'st and speak'st.

The service that you three have done is more

Unlike than this thou tell'st. I lost my children.

If these be they, I know not how to wish

A pair of worthier sons.

 

You weep as you speak.

The service you have done is more

unusual than your tale.I lost my children.

If these are them, I couldn't wish for

a better pair of sons.

 

BELARIUS.

Be pleas'd awhile.

This gentleman, whom I call Polydore,

Most worthy prince, as yours, is true Guiderius;

This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arviragus,

Your younger princely son; he, sir, was lapp'd

In a most curious mantle, wrought by th' hand

Of his queen mother, which for more probation

I can with ease produce.

 

Wait for a while.

This gentleman, whom I call Polydore,

is truly named, most worthy prince, as your son, Guideius;

this gentleman, my Cadwal, is Arviragus,

your younger princely son; he, sir, was wrapped

in a most unusual cloak, made by the hand

of the queen, his mother, and I can easily

produce it to give more proof.

 

CYMBELINE.

Guiderius had

Upon his neck a mole, a sanguine star;

It was a mark of wonder.

 

Guiderius had

a mole on his neck in the shape of a star;

it amazed everyone.

 

BELARIUS.

This is he,

Who hath upon him still that natural stamp.

It was wise nature's end in the donation,

To be his evidence now.

 

He is the one,

who still has that birthmark.

It was wise nature's purpose in giving it to him

that it should be his proof now.

 

CYMBELINE.

O, what am I?

A mother to the birth of three? Ne'er mother

Rejoic'd deliverance more. Blest pray you be,

That, after this strange starting from your orbs,

You may reign in them now! O Imogen,

Thou hast lost by this a kingdom.

 

Oh, what am I?

A mother giving birth to three?No mother

was ever happier at a birth.May you be blessed,

so that after this strange removal from your natural orbits

you can rule in them now!Oh Imogen,

this means you have lost a kingdom.

 

IMOGEN.

No, my lord;

I have got two worlds by't. O my gentle brothers,

Have we thus met? O, never say hereafter

But I am truest speaker! You call'd me brother,

When I was but your sister: I you brothers,

When we were so indeed.

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