QUOTES FROM THE BARD

Why, courage then! What cannot be avoided
‘Twere childish weakness to lament or fear.

PLAY: King Henry VI Part 3
ACT/SCENE: 5.4
SPEAKER: Queen Margaret
CONTEXT:
QUEEN MARGARET
(…) And what is Edward but ruthless sea?
What Clarence but a quicksand of deceit?
And Richard but a ragged fatal rock?
All these the enemies to our poor barque.
Say you can swim; alas, ’tis but a while!
Tread on the sand; why, there you quickly sink:
Bestride the rock; the tide will wash you off,
Or else you famish; that’s a threefold death.
This speak I, lords, to let you understand,
If case some one of you would fly from us,
That there’s no hoped-for mercy with the brothers
More than with ruthless waves, with sands and rocks.
Why, courage then! What cannot be avoided
‘Twere childish weakness to lament or fear.

DUTCH:
Dus, moed! Om dat te jamm’ren, dat te duchten,
Wat onvermijd’lijk is, waar’ kindervrees.


MORE:

Quicksand=Moving sand, not a solid footing
Ragged=Rough, jagged
Fatal=Deadly
Barque=Ship (bark)
If case=In the event, if it should happen that

Compleat:
Quick sands=Zanden in zee, droogten
Fatal=Noodlottig, noodschikkelyk, verderflyk, doodelyk
Bark=Scheepje

Topics: deceit, adversity, stability

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