Henry VI Part 2: Act 4, Scene 3 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 4, Scene 3 of Henry VI Part 2 from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

  Original Text

 Translated Text

  Source: Folger Shakespeare Library

Alarums to the fight, wherein both the Staffords are
slain. Enter Cade and the rest.

CADE Where’s Dick, the butcher of Ashford?

DICK Here, sir.

CADE They fell before thee like sheep and oxen, and
thou behaved’st thyself as if thou hadst been in
thine own slaughterhouse. Therefore, thus will I 5
reward thee: the Lent shall be as long again as it is,
and thou shalt have a license to kill for a hundred
lacking one.

DICK I desire no more.

CADE And to speak truth, thou deserv’st no less. This 10
monument of the victory will I bear. He puts on
Sir Humphrey Stafford’s armor and helmet, or sallet.
And the bodies shall be dragged at my horse
heels till I do come to London, where we will have
the Mayor’s sword borne before us.

DICK If we mean to thrive and do good, break open 15
the jails and let out the prisoners.

CADE Fear not that, I warrant thee. Come, let’s march
towards London.

They exit with the bodies of the Staffords.

Alarms are sounding to tell us there's a battle going on. Stafford and his bro are dead. Cade asks where his guy Dick the Butcher is.

The two discuss how the Staffords and their army have just lost. Cade gives Dick a license to kill.

Dick takes Stafford's coat and suggests they break open the prisons and jails if they mean to do good.
Cade decides they should march to London to fight the mayor.