The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (722 page)

To your own conscience, sir, before Polixenes

Came to your court, how I was in your grace,

How merited to be so; since he came,

With what encounter so uncurrent I

Have strain'd to appear thus: if one jot beyond

The bound of honour, or in act or will

That way inclining, harden'd be the hearts

Of all that hear me, and my near'st of kin

Cry fie upon my grave!

Since what I have to say has to be

a rebuttal of this accusation, and

as the only testimony in my favour

is what comes from me, it won't help me

to say ‘not guilty ‘: my integrity

being doubted, it will be seen as false

when I say it. But I do say, if the heavenly powers

observe our human actions (as they do),

I have no doubts that innocence will put

false accusations to shame, and tyranny

will shake in the face of steadfastness. You, my lord, know best

(even this at the moment you seem to know least) that my past life

has been as moderate, as chaste, as loyal

as I am now unhappy; and that is more

than a story can tell, even if it was

written and played out for spectators. For look at me,

who had a share of the royal bed, who owns

a share of the throne, a great king's daughter,

the mother of an inheriting prince, standing here

to uselessly talk to try and save my life and honour in front of

anyone who cares to come and listen. As for life, I value it

as I value grief (which I could well do without): but honour

is something that my children will inherit from me,

and that's the only thing I'm fighting for. I appeal

to your own conscience, Sir; before Polixenes

came to your court, remember how much you loved me,

and how much I deserved it; since he came,

what behaviour so out of the ordinary and so

wrong have I committed to put me in this position: if I've gone

a single inch over the boundaries of honour, or have looked

as if I was going that way in thought or deed, may all the hearts that

hear me be hardened, and may my closest family

disrespect my grave!

LEONTES

I ne'er heard yet

That any of these bolder vices wanted

Less impudence to gainsay what they did

Than to perform it first.

Everyone knows

that the worst sinners have just as much

cheek in denying what they have done

as they had to do it in the first place.

HERMIONE

That's true enough;

Through 'tis a saying, sir, not due to me.

That's true enough;

though it is saying, sir, that you can't apply to me.

LEONTES

You will not own it.

You won't admit to it.

HERMIONE

More than mistress of

Which comes to me in name of fault, I must not

At all acknowledge. For Polixenes,

With whom I am accused, I do confess

I loved him as in honour he required,

With such a kind of love as might become

A lady like me, with a love even such,

So and no other, as yourself commanded:

Which not to have done I think had been in me

Both disobedience and ingratitude

To you and toward your friend, whose love had spoke,

Even since it could speak, from an infant, freely

That it was yours. Now, for conspiracy,

I know not how it tastes; though it be dish'd

For me to try how: all I know of it

Is that Camillo was an honest man;

And why he left your court, the gods themselves,

Wotting no more than I, are ignorant.

I won't admit to anything

except for that which I am now being accused of

being at fault in. With reference to Polixenes,

my fellow accused, I admit

that I loved him as his position demanded,

with the kind of love which is suitable for

a lady like me; with the kind of love, indeed,

and no other, that you ordered me to show:

if I had not done so I think I would have been

both disobedient and ungrateful

to you, and towards your friend, who had,

from a child, ever since he could speak, freely

offered you his love. Now, as for conspiracy,

I don't know what it's like, in fact I

wouldn't be able to recognise it in front of me: all I know about it,

is that Camillo was an honest man;

and as to why he left your court, the  gods themselves

(if they know no more than I do) do not know.

LEONTES

You knew of his departure, as you know

What you have underta'en to do in's absence.

You knew about his departure, as you know

what you have promised to do while he is away.

HERMIONE

Sir,

You speak a language that I understand not:

My life stands in the level of your dreams,

Which I'll lay down.

Sir,

you are speaking a language I can't understand:

my life is at the mercy of your delusions,

and I'll lay it down.

LEONTES

Your actions are my dreams;

You had a bastard by Polixenes,

And I but dream'd it! As you were past all shame,--

Those of your fact are so--so past all truth:

Which to deny concerns more than avails; for as

Thy brat hath been cast out, like to itself,

No father owning it,--which is, indeed,

More criminal in thee than it,--so thou

Shalt feel our justice, in whose easiest passage

Look for no less than death.

What you call my delusions are things you have done;

you had a bastard with Polixenes,

and you call it a delusion! As you are beyond all shame–

criminals like you always are–so you are beyond all truth:

by denying it you're only making it worse for yourself;

just as your brat has been thrown out, left to itself,

with no father claiming it–which is, of course,

more your fault than its–so you

will feel my justice, and the lightest sentence

you can hope for is death.

HERMIONE

Sir, spare your threats:

The bug which you would fright me with I seek.

To me can life be no commodity:

The crown and comfort of my life, your favour,

I do give lost; for I do feel it gone,

But know not how it went. My second joy

And first-fruits of my body, from his presence

I am barr'd, like one infectious. My third comfort

Starr'd most unluckily, is from my breast,

The innocent milk in its most innocent mouth,

Haled out to murder: myself on every post

Proclaimed a strumpet: with immodest hatred

The child-bed privilege denied, which 'longs

To women of all fashion; lastly, hurried

Here to this place, i' the open air, before

I have got strength of limit. Now, my liege,

Tell me what blessings I have here alive,

That I should fear to die? Therefore proceed.

But yet hear this: mistake me not; no life,

I prize it not a straw, but for mine honour,

Which I would free, if I shall be condemn'd

Upon surmises, all proofs sleeping else

But what your jealousies awake, I tell you

'Tis rigor and not law. Your honours all,

I do refer me to the oracle:

Apollo be my judge!

Sir, save your threats:

the terror you are trying to frighten me with, I wish for.

To me life is now useless;

the pride and joy of my life, your love,

I have given up as lost, for I can feel it has gone,

though I do not know why it went. My second joy

is my firstborn, and I am banned from his presence

like someone with an infectious disease. My third comfort

(born under an unlucky star) has been torn from my breast

(with the innocent milk still in its most innocent mouth)

and thrown out to die; I am declared

a whore on every side, excessive hatred

has taken from me the privilege of the maternity bed, which belongs

to all women of every rank; lastly I have been hurried here,

to this place, exposed to the cold, before

I have got my strength back. Now, my lord,

tell me what blessings there are in my life

that should make me afraid to die? So carry on.

But hear this: do not mistake me: I don't

care a jot for life, but I want to preserve

my honour: if I'm going to be condemned

by guesses, with no other evidence

except what your jealousy has made up,

I tell you that this is not a fair process. All you lords,

I put my case to the Oracle:

may Apollo be my judge!

First Lord

This your request

Is altogether just: therefore bring forth,

And in Apollos name, his oracle.

Exeunt certain Officers

This request of yours

is completely fair: so bring out,

in the name of Apollo, his oracle.

HERMIONE

The Emperor of Russia was my father:

O that he were alive, and here beholding

His daughter's trial! that he did but see

The flatness of my misery, yet with eyes

Of pity, not revenge!

Re-enter Officers, with CLEOMENES and DION

The Emperor of Russia was my father:

I wish that he were alive and here to see

his daughter's trial! If he could only see

my overwhelming misery, but with eyes

of pity, not revenge!

Officer

You here shall swear upon this sword of justice,

That you, Cleomenes and Dion, have

Been both at Delphos, and from thence have brought

The seal'd-up oracle, by the hand deliver'd

Of great Apollo's priest; and that, since then,

You have not dared to break the holy seal

Nor read the secrets in't.

You shall now swear upon this sword of justice

that you, Cleomenes and Dion, have

both been to Delphos, and have brought from there

a sealed oracle, delivered by the hand

of great Apollo's priest; and that, since then,

you have not dared to break the holy seal,

nor read the secrets inside.

CLEOMENES DION

All this we swear.

We swear to this.

LEONTES

Break up the seals and read.

Break open the seals and read it.

Officer

[Reads] Hermione is chaste;

Polixenes blameless; Camillo a true subject; Leontes

a jealous tyrant; his innocent babe truly begotten;

and the king shall live without an heir, if that

which is lost be not found.