Page images
PDF
EPUB

Count. Which better than the first, O dear Heaven,

bless!

Or, ere they meet, in me, O nature, cease!

Laf. Come on, my son, in whom my house's name
Must be digested, give a favor from you,
To sparkle in the spirits of my daughter,

That she may quickly come.-By my old beard,
And every hair that's on't, Helen, that's dead,
Was a sweet creature; such a ring as this,
The last that e'er I took her leave at court,'
I saw upon her finger.

Ber.

Hers it was not.

King. Now, pray you, let me see it; for mine eye, While I was speaking, oft was fastened to't.—

This ring was mine, and, when I gave it Helen,

I bade her, if her fortune ever stood

Necessitied to help, that by this token

I would relieve her. Had you that craft to reave her Of what should stead her most?

My gracious sovereign,

Ber.
Howe'er it pleases you to take it so,
The ring was never hers.

Count.

Son, on my life,

I have seen her wear it; and she reckoned it

At her life's rate.

Laf.

I am sure I saw her wear it. Ber. You are deceived, my lord; she never saw it. In Florence was it from a casement thrown me Wrapped in a paper, which contained the name Of her that threw it; noble she was, and thought I stood ingaged; but when I had subscribed3 To mine own fortune, and informed her fully, I could not answer in that course of honor As she had made the overture, she ceased, In heavy satisfaction, and would never Receive the ring again.

King.

Plutus himself,

1 "The last time that ever I took leave of her at court."
2 Ingaged, i. e. pledged to her, having received her pledge.
3 Subscribed, i. e. submitted.

That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine,
Hath not in nature's mystery more science,

Than I have in this ring: 'twas mine, 'twas Helen's,
Whoever gave it you. Then if you know
That you are well acquainted with yourself,
Confess 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcement
You got it from her. She called the saints to surety,
That she would never put it from her finger
Unless she gave it to yourself in bed,

(Where you have never come,) or sent it us
Upon her great disaster.

Ber.

She never saw it.

King. Thou speak'st it falsely, as I love mine honor, And mak'st conjectural fears to come into me, Which I would fain shut out. If it should prove That thou art so inhuman,-'twill not prove so;And yet I know not:-thou didst hate her deadly, And she is dead; which nothing, but to close Her eyes myself, could win me to believe, More than to see this ring.-Take him away.

[Guards seize BERTRAM.

My fore-past proofs, howe'er the matter fall,

Shall tax my fears of little vanity,

Having vainly feared too little.'-Away with him ;We'll sift this matter further.

Ber. If you shall prove

This ring was ever hers, you shall as easy

Prove that I husbanded her bed in Florence,

Where yet she never was.

[Exit BERTRAM, guarded.

Enter a Gentleman.

King. I am wrapped in dismal thinkings.

Gent. Gracious sovereign, Whether I have been to blame, or no, I know not; Here's a petition from a Florentine,

1 The proofs which I have already had are sufficient to show that my fears were not vain and irrational. I have unreasonably feared too little.

Who hath, for four or five removes,' come short
To tender it herself. I undertook it,
Vanquished thereto by the fair grace and speech
Of the poor suppliant, who by this, I know,
Is here attending. Her business looks in her
With an importing visage; and she told me,
In a sweet verbal brief, it did concern
Your highness with herself.

King. [Reads.] Upon his many protestations to marry me, when his wife was dead, I blush to say it, he won me. Now is the count Rousillon a widower; his vows are forfeited to me, and my honor's paid to him. He stole from Florence, taking no leave, and I follow him to his country for justice. Grant it me, O king; you it best lies; otherwise a seducer flourishes, and

in

a poor maid is undone.

DIANA CAPUlet.

Laf. I will buy me a son-in-law in a fair, and toll' for this; I'll none of him.

King. The Heavens have thought well on thee, Lafeu,

To bring forth this discovery.-Seek these suitors.Go, speedily, and bring again the count.

[Exeunt Gentleman, and some Attendants.

I am afeard, the life of Helen, lady,

Was foully snatched.

Count.

Now, justice on the doers!

Enter BERTRAM, guarded.

King. I wonder, sir, since wives are monsters to you,” And that you fly them as you swear them lordship, Yet you desire to marry. What woman's that?

1 Removes are journeys or post stages; she had not been able to overtake the king on the road.

2 The second folio reads:-"I will buy me a son-in-law in a fair, and toll for him for this, I'll none of him."

3 The first folio reads:

"I wonder, sir, sir; wives," &c.

The emendation is Mr. Tyrwhitt's. As in the succeeding line means as

soon as.

Re-enter Gentleman, with Widow and DIANA.

Dia. I am, my lord, a wretched Florentine,
Derived from the ancient Capulet.

My suit, as I do understand, you know,
And therefore know how far I may be pitied.

Wid. I am her mother, sir, whose age and honor Both suffer under this complaint we bring,

And both shall cease,' without your remedy.

King. Come hither, count. Do you know these women?

Ber. My lord, I neither can nor will deny

But that I know them. Do they charge me further? Dia. Why do you look so strange upon your wife? Ber. She's none of mine, my lord.

Dia.
If you shall marry,
You give away this hand, and that is mine;
You give away Heaven's vows, and those are mine;
You give away myself, which is known mine;
For I by vow am so imbodied yours,

That she, which marries you, must marry me,
Either both or none.

Laf. Your reputation [To BERTRAM.] comes too short for my daughter; you are no husband for her.

Ber. My lord, this is a fond and desperate creature, Whom sometimes I have laughed with: let your high

ness

Lay a more noble thought upon mine honor,

Than for to think that I would sink it here.

King. Sir, for my thoughts, you have them ill to friend,

Till your deeds gain them.

Than in my thought it lies!

Dia.

Fairer prove your honor,

Good my lord,

Ask him upon his oath, if he does think

He had not my virginity.

1 Decease, die.

King. What say'st thou to her?

Ber.

She's impudent, my lord;

And was a common gamester to the camp.

Dia. He does me wrong, my lord; if I were so,
He might have bought me at a common price.
Do not believe him: O, behold this ring,
Whose high respect, and rich validity,'
Did lack a parallel; yet, for all that

[blocks in formation]

it to a commoner o' the camp,

If I be one.

Count.

He blushes, and 'tis it: 2

Of six preceding ancestors, that gem

Conferred by testament to the sequent issue,

Hath it been owned and worn.

This is his wife:

That ring's a thousand proofs.
King.
Methought you said
You saw one here in court could witness it.
Dia. I did, my lord, but loath am to produce
So bad an instrument; his name's Parolles.
Laf. I saw the man to-day, if man he be.
King. Find him, and bring him hither.
Ber.

He's quoted for a most perfidious slave,

What of him!

With all the spots o' the world taxed and deboshed; * Whose nature sickens but to speak a truth.

Am I or that, or this, for what he'll utter,

That will speak any thing?

King.
Ber. I think she has: certain it is, I liked her,
And boarded her i'the wanton way of youth.
She knew her distance, and did angle for me,
Maddening my eagerness with her restraint,
As all impediments in fancy's course
Are motives of more fancy; and, in fine,

She hath that ring of yours.

1 i. e. value.

2 Malone remarks that the old copy reads, 'tis hit, and that in many of our old chronicles he had found hit printed instead of it.

3 Noted.

4 Debauched.

« PreviousContinue »