Par. What's pity? Count. Be thou blest, Bertram! and succeed thy In manners, as in shape! thy blood, and virtue, Laf. He cannot want the best That shall attend his love. Count. Heaven bless him!. Farewell, Bertram. Ber. The best wishes, that can be forged in your Be thoughts, [To HELENA.] be servants to you! comfortable to my mother, your mistress, and make much of her. Laf. Farewell, pretty lady: You must hold the credit of your father. [Exeunt BERTRAM and LAFeu. I have forgot him: my imagination One that goes with him: I love him for his sake; Par. Save you, fair queen. Hel. And you, monárch. — You're for the court. A phoenix, captain, and an enemy, His humble ambition, proud humility, 2 Peculiarity of feature. - and he is one 'Tis pity 3 Countenance. Hel. That wishing well had not a body in t, Enter a Page. Page. Monsieur Parolles, my lord calls for you. [Exit Page. Par. Little Helen, farewell: If I can remember thee, I will think of thee at court. Hel. Monsieur Parolles, you were born under a charitable star. Par. Under Mars, I. Hel. I especially think, under Mars. Par. Why under Mars? Hel. The wars have so kept you under, that you must needs be born under Mars. Par. When he was predominant. Hel. When he was retrograde, I think, rather. Hel. You go so much backward, when you fight. Hel. So is running away, when fear proposes the safety: But the composition, that your valour and fear makes in you, is a virtue of a good wing, and I like the wear well. Par. I am so full of businesses, I cannot answer Hel. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie, - [Exit. SCENE II. - Paris. A Room in the King's For speedy aid; wherein our dearest friend Prejudicates the business, and would seem To have us make denial. 1 Lord. His love and wisdom, Approv'd so to your majesty, may plead For amplest credence. King. They, that least lend it you, shall lack you first. King. I fill a place, I know't. How long is't, count, He hath arm'd our answer, Since the physician at your father's died? And Florence is denied before he comes: Enter BERTRAM, LAFEU, and PAROLLES. 1 Lord. It is the count Rousillon, my good lord, Young Bertram. King. Youth, thou bear'st thy father's face; Frank nature, rather curious than in haste, Hath well compos'd thee. Thy father's moral parts Mayst thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris. on, Ber. My thanks and duty are your majesty's. In their poor praise he humbled: Such a man Ber. His good remembrance, sir, Lies richer in your thoughts, than on his tomb; So in approof lives not his epitaph, As in your royal speech. King. 'Would, I were with him! He would always say, (Methinks, I hear him now; his plausive words I, after him, do after him wish too, 6 Approbation. 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 sickness Debate it at their leisure. Welcome, count; My son's no dearer. Ber. Thank your majesty. [Exeunt. SCENE III.- Rousillon. Flourish. A Room in the Countess's Palace. Enter COUNTESS, Steward, and Clown. Count. I will now hear: what say you of this gentlewoman? Stew. Madam, the care I have had to even your content 7, I wish might be found in the calendar of my past endeavours; for then we wound our modesty, and make foul the clearness of our deservings, when of ourselves we publish them. Count. What does this knave here? Get you gone, sirrah: The complaints, I have heard of you, I do not all believe: 'tis my slowness, that I do not: for, I know, you lack not folly to commit them, and have ability enough to make such knaveries yours. Clo. 'Tis not unknown to you, madam, I am a poor fellow. no heritage and, I think, I shall never have the blessing of God, till I have issue; for, they say, bearns 9 are blessings. 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 ; and, indeed, I do marry, that I may repent. Count. Thy marriage, sooner than thy wickedness. Clo. I am out of friends, madam; and I hope to have friends for my wife's sake. Count. Such friends are thine enemies, knave. Clo. You are shallow, madam; e'en great friends. Count. Get you gone, sir; I'll talk with you more With that she sighed as she stood, And gave this sentence then; There's yet one good in ten. song, sirrah. Clo. One good woman in ten, madam; which is a purifying o' the song: 'Would Fortune serve the world so all the year! we'd find no fault with the tythe-woman. One in ten quoth a'! an we might Nay, a mother; Hel. Mine honourable mistress. That this distemper'd messenger of wet, have a good woman born but every blazing star, or at an earthquake, 'twould mend the lottery well; a man may draw his heart out, ere he pluck one. Count. You'll be gone, sir knave, and do as command you? Clo. That man should be at woman's command, and yet no hurt done! - Though honesty be no puritan, yet it will do no hurt; it will wear the surplice of humility over the black gown of a big heart. I am going, forsooth: the business is for [Exit Clown. Helen to come hither. Count. Well, now. Stew. I know, madam, you love your gentlewoman entirely. Count. Indeed, I do; her father bequeathed her to me; and she herself, without other advantage, may lawfully make title to as much love as she finds: there is more owing her, than is paid; and more shall be paid her, than she'll demand. 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: Diana, no queen of virgins, that would suffer her poor knight to be surprised, without rescue, in the first assault, or ransome afterwards: This she delivered in the most bitter touch of sorrow, that e'er I heard virgin exclaim in which I held my duty, speedily to acquaint you withal; sithence 2, in the loss that may happen, it concerns you something to know it. 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. 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, Such were our faults: or then we thought them none. Her eye is sick on't; I observe her now. Hel. What is your pleasure, madam? Count. I am a mother to you. 2 Since. Hel. (So that my lord, your son, were not my brother,) Count. Yes, Helen, you might be my daughterin-law; So strive 3 upon your pulse: What, pale again? See it so grossly shown in thy behaviours, Hel. Good madam, pardon me! love my son? Count, Do you Hel. Your pardon, noble mistress! Count. Love you my son? Hel. Do not you love him, madam? Count. Go not about; my love hath in't a bond, Whereof the world takes note: come, come, disclose 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 By any token of presumptuous suit; Hel. Count. Madam, I had. Wherefore? tell true. For general sovereignty; and that he will'd me More than they were in note 5: amongst the rest, ACT II. SCENE I.-Paris. A Room in the King's Palace. Flourish. Enter KING, with young Lords taking 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, King. No, no, it cannot be; and yet my heart Will not confess he owes the malady That doth my life besiege. Farewell, young lords; Of the last monarchy 6) see, that you come The bravest questant 7 shrinks, find what you seek, King. Those girls of Italy, take heed of them; Creaking my shoes on the plain masonry, 1 Lord. There's honour in the theft. 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. 8 Exhausted of their skill 9 Be not captives before you are soldiers. 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 expressive to them; for they wear themselves in 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 4, such are to be followed: after them, and take a more dilated farewell. Ber. And I will do so. Par. Worthy fellows; and like to prove most sinewy sword-men. [Exeunt BERTRAM and PAROLLes. Enter LAFEU. for my tidings. [Exit LAFEU. And not be all day neither. Re-enter LAFEU with HELENA. Laf. Nay, come your ways. This haste hath wings indeed. This is his majesty, say your mind to him: Hel. Ay, my good lord. Gerard de Narbon was Hel. The rather will I spare my praises towards him; Knowing him, is enough. On his bed of death Laf. Pardon, my lord, [Kneeling.] for me and of my dear father's gift stands chief in power, King. I'll fee thee to stand up. Goodfaith, across 5: King. No. O, will you eat Could reach them: I have seen a medicine 6, To give great Charlemain a pen in his hand, Laf. Why, doctor she: My lord, there's one arriv'd, If you will see her, — now, by my faith and honour, King. Our great self and our credit, to esteem A senseless help, when help past sense we deem. King. I cannot give thee less, to be call'd grateful: give, As one near death to those that wish him live: Hel. What I can do, can do no hurt to try, Oft does them by the weakest minister : flown From simple sources; and great seas have dried, King. I must not hear thee; fare thee well, kind maid; |