50 Lies richer in your thoughts than on his tomb; King. Would I were with him! He would always say, Methinks I hear him now; his plausive words This his good melancholy oft began, 66 After my flame lacks oil, to be the snuff 59 Of younger spirits, whose apprehensive1 senses All but newthings disdain; whose judgments are Mere fathers of their garments; whose constancies (Expire before their fashions:"-this he wish'd: Sec. Lord. Since the physician at your father's died? Ber. 70 Some six months since, my lord. King. If he were living, I would try him yet; Lend me an arm;-the rest have worn me out With several applications:-nature and sick Clo. My poor body, madam, requires it: I am driven on by the flesh; and he must needs go that the devil drives. Count. Is this all your worship's reason? Clo. Faith, madam, I have other holy reasons, such as they are. Count. May the world know them? Clo. I have been, madam, a wicked creature, as you and all flesh and blood are; and, indeed, I do marry that I may repent. Count. Thy marriage, sooner than thy Clo. I am out o' friends, madam; and I hope to have friends for my wife's sake. Count. Such friends are thine enemies, knave. Clo. You're shallow, madam, in great friends; for the knaves come to do that for me, which I am a-weary of. He that ears my land spares my team, and gives me leave to in the crop; if I be his cuckold, he's my drudge: he that comforts my wife is the cherisher of my flesh and blood; he that cherishes my flesh and blood loves my flesh and blood; he that loves my flesh and blood is my friend: ergo, he that kisses my wife is my friend. If men could be contented to be what they are, there? were no fear in marriage; for young Charbon the puritan and old Poysam the papist, howsome'er their hearts are severed in religion, their heads are both one, they may joul horns together, like any deer i' the herd. Count. Wilt thou ever be a foul-mouthed and calumnious knave? 59 Stew. May it please you, madam, that he bid Helen come to you: of her I am to speak. Count. Sirrah, tell my gentlewoman I would speak with her; Helen I mean. Clo. Was this fair face the cause, quoth she, Was this King Priam's joy? And gave this sentence then; 80 Count. What, one good in ten? You corrupt the song, sirrah. Clo. One good woman in ten, madam; which is a purifying o' the song: would God would serve the world so all the year! we'd find no fault with the tithe-woman, if I were the parson: one in ten, quoth a'! an we might have a good woman born but one every blazing star, or at an earthquake, 't would mend the lottery well: a man may draw his heart out, ere 'a pluck one. 93 Stew. Madam, I was very late more near her than I think she wished me: alone she was, and did communicate to herself her own words to her own ears; she thought, I dare vow for her, they touched not any stranger sense. Her matter was, she loved your son: Fortune, she said, was no goddess, that had put such difference betwixt their two estates; Love no god, that would not extend his might, only where qualities were level; [Dian no queen of virgins, that would suffer her poor knight surprised, without rescue in the first assault, or ransom afterward.] This she delivered in the most bitter touch3 of sorrow that e'er I heard virgin exclaim in: which I held my duty speedily to acquaint you withal; sithence, in the loss that may happen, it concerns you something to know it. 126 Count. You have discharged this honestly; [keep it to yourself: many likelihoods informed me of this before, which hung so tottering in the balance, that I could neither believe nor misdoubt.] Pray you, leave me: stall this in your bosom; and I thank you for your honest care: I will speak with you further anon. [Exit Steward. Enter HELENA. [Even so it was with me when I was young: If ever we are nature's, these are ours; this thorn 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: So that my lord your son were not my brotherIndeed my mother!- --or were you both our mothers,2 I care no more for3 than I do for heaven, 170 [God shield, you mean it not! "daughter" and "mother" So strive upon your pulse.] What, pale again? My fear hath catch'd your fondness: now I see [The mystery of your loneliness, and find Your salt tears' head: now to all sense 't is gross] You love my son; invention is asham'd, Against the proclamation of thy passion, 180 1 Native, kindred, as in i. 1. 238. 2 Both our mothers, the mother of both of us. 3 I care no more for, I care as much for, wish it equally. 4 Can't no other. Can it not be otherwise, but that if I am your daughter, &c. 5 To say thou dost not: therefore tell me true; Hel. Hel. Your pardon, noble mistress! Do not you love him, madam? Count. Go not about; my love hath in't a bond,8 Whereof the world takes note: come, come, My friends were poor, but honest; so's my love: 211 The sun, that looks upon his worshipper, But knows of him no more. My dearest madam, Let not your hate encounter with my love, For loving where you do: but, if yourself, Whose aged honour cites a virtuous youth,11 Did ever, in so true a flame of liking, 5 Grossly, palpably. 6 In their kind, in their way. 7 Avail, interest; compare iii. 1. 22. 8 Bond, obligation. • Appeach'd, informed against you. 10 Captious and intenible, capacious, and incapable of retaining. 11 Cites a virtuous youth, proves that you were no less virtuous when young. After well enter'd soldiers, to return King. No, no, it cannot be; and yet my heart Will not confess he owes the malady Whether I live or die, be you the sons 10 |