The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) by William Shakespeare Read Free Book Online

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.
     
    KING JOHN.
    Speak on with favour; we are bent to hear.
     
    You may keep talking; we are listening.
     
    CITIZEN.
    That daughter there of Spain, the Lady Blanch,
    Is niece to England; look upon the years
    Of Lewis the Dauphin and that lovely maid.
    If lusty love should go in quest of beauty,
    Where should he find it fairer than in Blanch?
    If zealous love should go in search of virtue,
    Where should he find it purer than in Blanch?
    If love ambitious sought a match of birth,
    Whose veins bound richer blood than Lady Blanch?
    Such as she is, in beauty, virtue, birth,
    Is the young Dauphin every way complete-
    If not complete of, say he is not she;
    And she again wants nothing, to name want,
    If want it be not that she is not he.
    He is the half part of a blessed man,
    Left to be finished by such as she;
    And she a fair divided excellence,
    Whose fulness of perfection lies in him.
    O, two such silver currents, when they join,
    Do glorify the banks that bound them in;
    And two such shores to two such streams made one,
    Two such controlling bounds, shall you be, Kings,
    To these two princes, if you marry them.
    This union shall do more than battery can
    To our fast-closed gates; for at this match
    With swifter spleen than powder can enforce,
    The mouth of passage shall we fling wide ope
    And give you entrance; but without this match,
    The sea enraged is not half so deaf,
    Lions more confident, mountains and rocks
    More free from motion-no, not Death himself
    In mortal fury half so peremptory
    As we to keep this city.
     
    That daughter of Spain there, the Lady Blanche,
    is close to King John: look at the age
    of the Dauphin Louis and that lovely girl:
    if a strong young love should go in search of beauty,
    where would he find it better than in her?
    If pious love goes in search of goodness,
    where would he find itmore pure than in Blanche?
    If ambitious love sought a good match,
    who has nobler blood in their veins than Lady Blanche?
    Everything she is, in beauty, goodness and nobility,
    is matched by the young Dauphin:
    if he doesn't match it, say he is not her,
    and if she is lacking anything he has
    then you can say that she is not him:
    he is half a part of a blessed man,
    waiting to be completed by someone like her;
    and she is half of an excellent woman,
    who can be completed by him.
    Two such silver streams, when they join,
    make the country they run through glorious;
    and with