misdoubt: Pray you leave me: stall this in your bosom, and I thank you for your honest care: 1 will speak with you further anon. [Exit STEWARD. young: Enter HELENA. Count. Even so it was with me, when I was [thorn If we are nature's, these are ours; this Doth to our rose of youth rightly belong; Our blood to us, this to our blood is born; It is the show and seal of nature's truth, Where love's strong passion is impress'd in youth: By our remembrances of days foregone, Her eye is sick on't; I observe her now. I am a mother to you. Hel. Mine honourable mistress. Why not a mother? When I said a mother, Methought you saw a serpent: What's in mother, That you start at it? I say, I am your mother; A native slip to us from foreign seeds: Hel. That I am not. Count. I say, I am your mother. The count Rousillon cannot be my brother: Count. Nor I your mother? Hel. You are my mother, madam; 'Would you were (So that my lord, your son, were not my You love my son; invention is asham'd, I. e. 1 care as much for: I wish it equally. + Contend. The source, the cause of your grief. According to their nature. That truth should be suspected: Speak, is't so ? Hel. Good madam, pardon me! Hel. Your pardon, noble mistress! Hel. Do not you love him, madam? Count. Go not about; my love hath in't a bond, [disclose Whereof the world takes note: come, come, The state of your affection; for your passions Have to the full appeach'd. Hel. Then, I confess, Here on my knee, before high heaven and you, My friends were poor, but honest; so's my love: Let not your hate encounter with my love, Hel. Madam, I had. Count. Wherefore? tell true. Hel. I will tell truth; by grace itself, I swear. You know, my father left me some prescrip tions Of rare and prov'd effects, such as his reading, Count. This was your motive Hel. My lord your son made me to think of this; Else Paris, and the medicine, and the king, Had, from the conversation of my thoughts, Haply, been absent then. Count. But think you, Helen, If you should tender your supposed aid, credit A poor unlearned virgin, when the schools, * I. e. Whose respectable conduct in age proves that you were no less virtuous when young. + Le. Venus, Receipts in which greater virtues were enclosed than appeared. Embowell'd of their doctrine, have left off Hel. There's something hints, [greatest By the luckiest stars in Heaven: and, would your honour But give me leave to try success, I'd venture The well-lost life of mine on his grace's cure, By such a day, and hour. Count. Dost thou believe't? Hel. Ay, madam, knowingly. Count. Why, Helen, thou shalt have my leave, and love, [ings Means, and attendants, and my loving greetTo those of mine own court; I'll stay at home, And pray God's blessing into thy attempt: Be gone to-morrow; and be sure of this, What I can help thee to, thou shalt not miss. ACT II. [Exeunt. SCENE I-Paris.-A Room in the King's Palace. Creaking my shoes on the plain masonry, away. 1 Lord. There's honour in the theft. Par. Commit it, count. 2 Lord. I am your accessary; and so farewell. Ber. I grow to you, and our parting is a tortured body. 1 Lord. Farewell, captain. 2 Lord. Sweet monsieur Parolles! Par. Noble heroes, my sword and yours are kin. Good sparks and lustrous, a word, good metals:-You shall find in the regiment of the Spinii, one captain Spurio, with his cicatrice, an emblem of war, here on his sinister cheek; it was this very sword entrenched it: say to him, I live; and observe his reports for me. 2 Lord. We shall, noble captain. Par. Mars dote on you for his novices! [Exeunt LORDS.] What will you do? Ber. Stay; the king- [Seeing him rise. Par. Use a more spacious ceremony to the noble lords; you have restrained yourself within the list of too cold an adieu: be more ex Flourish. Enter KING, with young LORDS tak-pressive to them; for they wear themselves in ing leave for the Florentine war; BERTRAM, PAROLLES, and attendants. King. Farewell, young lord, these warlike principles Do not throw from you:--And you, my lord, farewell: Share the advice betwixt you; if both gain all, 1 Lord. It is our hope, Sir, After well-enter'd soldiers, to return King. No, no, it cannot be; and yet my heart That fame may cry you loud: I say, farewell.. 2 Lord. Health, at your bidding, serve your majesty! King. Those girls of Italy, take heed of them; They say, our French lack language to deny, If they demand: beware of being captives, Before you serve.§ Both. Our hearts receive your warnings. King. Farewell.-Come hither to me. [The KING retires to a couch. 1 Lord. O my sweet lord, that you will stay behind us! Par. 'Tis not his fault: the spark—— 2 Lord. O, 'tis brave wars! Par. Most admirable: I have seen those wars. Ber. I am commanded here, and kept a coil with; Too young, and the next year, and 'tis too early. Par. An thy mind stand to it, boy, steal away bravely. Ber. I shall stay here the forehorse to a smock, the cap of the time, there, do muster true gait, eat, speak, and move under the influence of the most received star; and though the devil lead the measure, such are to be followed: after them, and take a more dilated farewell. Ber. And I will do so. sinewy swordmen. Par. Worthy fellows; and like to prove most [Exeunt BERTRAM and PAROlles. Enter LAFEU. [you Luf. Pardon, my lord, [Kneeling.] for me and for my tidings. King. I'll fee thee to stand up. Stands, that has brought his pardon. I would, Laf. Then here's a man Had kneel'd, my lord, to ask me mercy; and That, at my bidding, you could so stand up. King. I would I had; so I had broke thy pate,` And ask'd thee mercy for't. But my good lord, 'tis thus; Will you be cur'd Laf. O, will you eat No grapes, my royal fox? yes, but you will, Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary,* Laf. Why, doctor she: My lord, there's one arriv'd, [honour, If you will see her,-now, by my faith and In this my light deliverance, I have spoke If seriously I may convey my thoughts With one, that, in her sex, her years, profession,tt Wisdom, and constancy, hath amazed me more * In Shakspeare's time it was usual for gentlemen to dance with swords on. They are the foremost in the fashion. I Have the true military step. The dance. Unskilfully; a phrase taken from the exercise at a quantaine. A female physician. **A kind of dance. ++ By profession is meant her declaration of the object of her coming. Ff Than I dare blame my weakness: Will you | Oft expectation fails, and most oft there Where most it promises; and oft it hits, Where hope is coldest, and despair most sits. King. I must not hear thee; fare thee well, kind maid; see her [ness? (For that is her demand,) and know her busiThat done, laugh well at me. King. Now, good Lafeu, Bring in the admiration; that we with thee [Erit LAFEU. King. Thus he his special nothing ever prologues. Re-enter LAFEU, with HELENA. Laf. Nay, come your ways. King. This haste hath wings indeed. This is his majesty, say your mind to him: low us? was My father; in what he did profess, well found. King. I knew him. Hel. The rather will I spare my praises towards him; Knowing him, is enough. On his bed of death King. We thank you, maiden; Hel. What I can do, can do no hurt to try, Since you set up your rest 'gainst remedy: He that of greatest works is finisher, Oft does them by the weakest minister: So holy writ in babes hath judgement shown, When judges have been babes. Great floods [dried, From simple sources; and great seas have When miracles have by the greatest been have flown denied. Thy pains, not us'd, must by thyself be paid: Proffers, not took, reap thanks for their reward. Hel. Inspired merit so by breath is barr'd: What dar'st thou venture? Hel. Tax of impudence, A strumpet's boldness, a divulged shame,Traduc'd by odious ballads; my maiden's name Sear'd otherwise; no worse of worst extended, With vilest torture let my life be ended. King. Methinks, in thee some blessed spirit doth speak; His powerful sound, within an organ weak: In common sense, sense saves another way. Hel. If I break time, or flinch in property Hel. But will you make it even? heaven. Hel. Then shalt thou give me, with thy kingly hand, What husband in thy power I will command: * 1. e. Pretend to greater things than befits the mediocrity of my condition. The evening star. I. c. May be counted among the gifts enjoyed by thee. The spring or morning of life. From whence thou cam'st, how tended on,But rest Unquestion'd welcome, and undoubted blest.Give me some help here, ho!-If thou proceed As high as word, my deed shall match thy deed. [Flourish. Exeunt. SCENE II.-Rousillon.—A Room in the Countess' Palace. Enter COUNTESS and CLOWN. Count. Come on, Sir; I shall now put you to the height of your breeding. Clo. I will show myself highly fed, and lowly taught; I know my business is but to the court. Count. To the court! why, what place make you special, when you put off that with such contempt? But to the court! Clo. Truly, madam, if God have lent a man any manners, he may easily put it off at court: he that cannot make a leg, put off's cap, kiss his hand, and say nothing, has neither leg, hands, lip, nor cap; and, indeed, such a fellow, to say precisely, were not for the court: but, for me, I have an answer will serve all men. Count. Marry, that's a bountiful answer, that fits all questions. Clo. It is like a barber's chair, that fits all buttocks; the pin-buttock, the quatch-buttock, the brawn-buttock, or any buttock. Count. Will your answer serve fit to all questions? Clo. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney, as your French crown for your taffata punk, as Tib's rush for Tom's forefinger, as a pancake for Shrove-Tuesday, a morris for Mayday, as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a scolding quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the friar's mouth; nay, as the pudding to his skin. Count. Have you, I say, an answer of such fitness for all questions? Count. I play the noble housewife with the time, to entertain it so merrily with a fool. Clo. O Lord, Sir,-Why, there't serves well again. Count. An end, Sir, to your business: Give Commend me to my kinsmen, and my son; Clo. Not much commendation to them. Count. Not much employment for you: You understand me? Clo. Most fruitfully; I am there before my legs. Count. Haste you again. [Exeunt severally. SCENE III-Paris.-A Room in the King's Palace. Enter BERTRAM, LAFEU, and Parolles. Laf. They say, miracles are past; and we have our philosophical persons, to make modern* and familiar things, supernatural and causeless. Hence is it, that we make trifles of terrors; ensconcing ourselves into seeming knowledge, when we should submit ourselves to an unknown fear.+ Par. Why, 'tis the rarest argument of wonder, that hath shot out in our latter times. Ber. And so 'tis. Laf. To be relinquished of the artists, Pur. Right, so I say. Laf. That gave him out incurable,- Par. Right: as 'twere a man assured of anLaf. Uncertain life, and sure death. Par. Just, you say well; so would I have said. Laf. may truly say, it is a novelty to the world. Pur. It is, indeed: if you will have it in showing, you shall read it in,- -What do you Clo. From below your duke, to beneath your constable, it will fit any question. Count. It must be an answer of most mon-call there?strous size, that must fit all demands. Laf. A showing of a heavenly effect in an earthly actor. Par. That's it I would have said; the very same. Laf. Why, your dolphint is not lustier; 'fore Clo. But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learned should speak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to't: Ask me, if I am a courtier; it shall do you no harm to learn. Count. To be young again, if we could: Ime I speak in respectwill be a fool in question, hoping to be the wiser by your answer. I pray you, Sir, are you a courtier? Clo. O Lord, Sir,-There's a simple putting off-more, more, a hundred of them. Count. Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you. Clo. O Lord, Sir,—Thick, thick, spare not me. Count. I think, Sir, you can eat none of this homely meat. Clo. O Lord, Sir,-Nay, put me to't, I war rant you. Count. You were lately whipped, Sir, as I think. Clo. O Lord, Sir,-Spare not me. Count. Do you cry, O Lord, Sir, at your whipping, and spare not me? Indeed, your O Lord, Sir, is very sequent to your whipping; you would answer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to't. Clo. I ne'er had worse luck in my life, in my-O Lord, Sir: I see, things may serve long, but not serve ever. *Properly follows. Pur. Nay 'tis strange, 'tis very strange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he is of a most facinorious spirit, that will not acknowledge it to be the Laf. Very hand of heaven. Par. And debile minister, great power, great transcendence: which should, indeed, give us a further use to be made, than alone the recovery of the king, as to be Laf. Generally thankful. Enter KING, HELENA, and Attendants. Par. I would have said it; you say well: Here comes the king. Laf. Lustic, as the Dutchman says: I'll like maid the better, whilst I have a tooth in my head: Why, he's able to lead her a coranto. a Par. Mort du Vinaigre! Is not this Helen? court. * Ordinary. +Fear means here the object of fear. you. Hel. I am a simple maid; and therein wealthThat, I protest, I simply am a maid :-- [iest, Please it your majesty, I have done already. The blushes in my cheeks thus whisper me, We blush, that thou should'st choose; but, be refus'd, Let the white death sit on thy cheek for ever; King. Make choice; and, see, Who shuns thy love, shuns all his love in me. Hel. Thanks, Sir; all the rest is mute.§ Laf. I had rather be in this choice, than throw ames-ace for my life. Hel. The honour, Sir, that flames in your fair Before I speak, too threateningly replies: Which great love grant! and so I take my leave. Laf. Do all they deny her? An they were sons of mine, I'd have them whipped; or I would send them to the Turk, to make eunuchs of Hel. Be not afraid [To a LORD] that I your hand should take; I'll never do you wrong for your own sake: Laf. These boys are boys of ice, they'll none have her: sure, they are bastards to the English; the French ne'er got them. Hel. You are too young, too happy, and too good, To make yourself a son out of my blood. 4 Lord. Fair one, I think not so. Laf. There's one grape yet,-I am sure, thy father drank wine.-But if thou be'st not an ass, They were wards as well as subjects. + Except one, meaning Bertram. 1. e. I have no more to say to you, chance of the dice. A docked horse. || The lowest I am a youth of fourteen; I have known thee already. Hel. I dare not say, I take you; [To BER- Me, and my service, ever whilst I live, Ber. My wife, my liege? I shall beseech your highness, In such a business give me leave to use King. Know'st thou not, Bertram, [her. But never hope to know why I should marry my sickly bed, Must answer for your raising? I know her well; Ber. But follows it, my lord, to bring me down A poor physician's daughter my wife!—Disdain She had her breeding at my father's charge: Rather corrupt me ever! King. 'Tis only title* thou disdain'st in her, I can build up. Strange is it, that our bloods, said? Ime. If thou canst like this creature as a maid, Hel. That you are well restor'd, my lord, I King. My honour's at the stake; which to I must produce my power: Here take her hand, |