The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (829 page)

I'll be reveng'd.

'His mean'st garment'! Well.

Exit

I'll have my revenge.

‘His lowest garment’! Right then.

Enter POSTHUMUS and PHILARIO

POSTHUMUS.

Fear it not, sir; I would I were so sure

To win the King as I am bold her honour

Will remain hers.

Don't worry about it, sir; I wish I could be as certain

that I could win the King over as I am that she will

remain true to me.

PHILARIO.

What means do you make to him?

What are you going to do to try and win him over?

POSTHUMUS.

Not any; but abide the change of time,

Quake in the present winter's state, and wish

That warmer days would come. In these fear'd hopes

I barely gratify your love; they failing,

I must die much your debtor.

Nothing, I'm just going to let time do its work,

shiver my way through the winter, and hope

that warmer days will come. With these dashed hopes

I'm hardly repaying your kindness; if they continue to be dashed

I will have to die in your debt.

PHILARIO.

Your very goodness and your company

O'erpays all I can do. By this your king

Hath heard of great Augustus. Caius Lucius

Will do's commission throughly; and I think

He'll grant the tribute, send th' arrearages,

Or look upon our Romans, whose remembrance

Is yet fresh in their grief.

Your goodness and your company

are more than enough payment. By now your king

will have heard from great Augustus. Caius Lucius

will carry out his commission thoroughly; and I think

he'll pay the tax, send the arrears,

rather than face war with our Romans, they can still

remember how painful that was for them.

POSTHUMUS.

I do believe

Statist though I am none, nor like to be,

That this will prove a war; and you shall hear

The legions now in Gallia sooner landed

In our not-fearing Britain than have tidings

Of any penny tribute paid. Our countrymen

Are men more order'd than when Julius Caesar

Smil'd at their lack of skill, but found their courage

Worthy his frowning at. Their discipline,

Now mingled with their courages, will make known

To their approvers they are people such

That mend upon the world.

Enter IACHIMO

Although I'm not a politician, nor am I likely to be,

I do believe that this will start a war; and that it's more likely

that you will hear that the legions now in France

have landed in our fearless Britain than to hear

that any penny of tax has been paid. Our countrymen

are more organised now than when Julius Caesar

smiled at their lack of skill, but found their courage

was enough to disturb him. Now that their courage

is mingled with discipline, they will show

anyone who puts them to the test that they

are now the greatest people in the world.

PHILARIO.

See! Iachimo!

Look there! Iachimo!

POSTHUMUS.

The swiftest harts have posted you by land,

And winds of all the corners kiss'd your sails,

To make your vessel nimble.

You must have ridden here on the swiftest deer,

and the winds of all quarters must have filled your sails

to make your ship speed.

PHILARIO.

Welcome, sir.

Welcome, sir.

POSTHUMUS.

I hope the briefness of your answer made

The speediness of your return.

I hope the short time you've been away

shows you got a short answer.

IACHIMO.

Your lady

Is one of the fairest that I have look'd upon.

Your lady

is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

POSTHUMUS.

And therewithal the best; or let her beauty

Look through a casement to allure false hearts,

And be false with them.

Along with that she is one of the best; otherwise let her beauty

sit in a window to attract false hearts,

and she can be false with them.

IACHIMO.

Here are letters for you.

Here are letters for you.

POSTHUMUS.

Their tenour good, I trust.

Containing good news, I trust.

IACHIMO.

'Tis very like.

Very likely.

PHILARIO.

Was Caius Lucius in the Britain court

When you were there?

Was Caius Lucius at the British court

when you were there?

IACHIMO.

He was expected then,

But not approach'd.

He was expected,

but he hadn't arrived.

POSTHUMUS.

All is well yet.

Sparkles this stone as it was wont, or is't not

Too dull for your good wearing?

All is still well.

Is this stone still as sparkling as it used to be,

it hasn't become too dull for you to wear?

IACHIMO.

If I have lost it,

I should have lost the worth of it in gold.

I'll make a journey twice as far t' enjoy

A second night of such sweet shortness which

Was mine in Britain; for the ring is won.

If I had lost it,

I would have lost the price of it in gold.

I'd travel twice as far to enjoy

another night of passion like the one

I had in Britain; I have won the bet.

POSTHUMUS.

The stone's too hard to come by.

You found it too hard to win the stone.

IACHIMO.

Not a whit,

Your lady being so easy.

No, it was easy,

because your lady was.

POSTHUMUS.

Make not, sir,

Your loss your sport. I hope you know that we

Must not continue friends.

Don't make a joke

out of your loss sir. I hope that you know that we

can't remain friends.

IACHIMO.

Good sir, we must,

If you keep covenant. Had I not brought

The knowledge of your mistress home, I grant

We were to question farther; but I now

Profess myself the winner of her honour,

Together with your ring; and not the wronger

Of her or you, having proceeded but

By both your wills.

Good sir, we must,

if you keep your bargain. If I hadn't

managed to seduce your mistress, I agree

that we said we would fight; but I now

declare that I have won her

and so your ring as well; I haven't done

any wrong to her or to you, having only done

what both of you told me to.

POSTHUMUS.

If you can make't apparent

That you have tasted her in bed, my hand

And ring is yours. If not, the foul opinion

You had of her pure honour gains or loses

Your sword or mine, or masterless leaves both

To who shall find them.

If you can prove

that you have had her in bed, I'll shake hands

and give you my ring.
If not, the foul opinion

you had of her pure honour means either

your sword or mine will bea winner, or we'll both be dead

and leaveour swords for whoever finds them.

IACHIMO.

Sir, my circumstances,

Being so near the truth as I will make them,

Must first induce you to believe- whose strength

I will confirm with oath; which I doubt not

You'll give me leave to spare when you shall find

You need it not.

Sir, my evidence,

which you shall see is very compelling,

will be the first thing which makes you believe–I shall

back it up by swearing it's the truth; I've no doubt

you won't make me take that oath, you'll find

it's not necessary.

POSTHUMUS.

Proceed.

Go on.

IACHIMO.

First, her bedchamber,

Where I confess I slept not, but profess

Had that was well worth watching-it was hang'd

With tapestry of silk and silver; the story,

Proud Cleopatra when she met her Roman

And Cydnus swell'd above the banks, or for

The press of boats or pride. A piece of work

So bravely done, so rich, that it did strive

In workmanship and value; which I wonder'd

Could be so rarely and exactly wrought,

Since the true life on't was-

Firstly, her bedroom,

where I must admit I didn't sleep, but I can say

that I had something well worth staying awake for–it was hung

with a tapestry of silk and silver, showing the story

of proud Cleopatra when she met her Roman

and the river rose above its banks, either from

the pressure of boats or from pride. It was a piece of work

so well done, so rich, that you couldn't tell what was greater,

its workmanship or its value; I was amazed

that anything could be so beautifully and perfectly made,

since the scene on it was–

POSTHUMUS.

This is true;

And this you might have heard of here, by me

Or by some other.

This is true;

and you could have heard of it here, from me,

or from somebody else.

IACHIMO.

More particulars

Must justify my knowledge.

I must give more evidence

to prove my assertions.

POSTHUMUS.