Hel.

What more commands he?

Par. That, having this obtain'd, you presently

Attend his further pleasure.

Hel. In every thing I wait upon his will.
Par. I shall report it so.

Hel.

I pray you.. Come, sirrah. [Exeunt.

SCENE V. Another Room in the same,

Enter LAFEU and BERTRAM.

Laf. But I hope your lordship thinks not him a

soldier.

Ber. Yes, my lord, and of very valiant approof.
Laf. You have it from his own deliverance.
Ber. And by other warranted testimony.

Laf. Then my dial goes not true: I took this lark for a bunting.'

Ber. I do assure you, my lord, he is very great in knowledge, and accordingly valiant.

Laf. I have, then, sinn'd against his experience, and transgress'd against his valour; and my state that way is dangerous, since I cannot yet find in my heart to repent. Here he comes: I pray you, make us friends; I will pursue the amity.

Enter PAROLLES.

Par. [To BERTRAM.]

These things shall be

done, sir.

Laf. Pray you, sir, who's his tailor?

Par. Sir?

Laf. O! I know him well. Ay, sir; he, sir, is a good workman, a very good tailor.

Ber. [Aside to PAROLLES.] Is she gone to the king?

1 The bunting nearly resembles the sky-lark; but has little or no song, which gives estimation to the sky-lark.

Par. She is.

Ber. Will she away to-night?

Par. As you'll have her.

treasure.

Ber. I have writ my letters, casketed my Given order for our horses; and to-night, When I should take possession of the bride, End, ere I do begin.2

Laf. A good traveller is something at the latter end of a dinner; but one that lies three-thirds, and uses a known truth to pass a thousand nothings with, should be once heard, and thrice beaten.

God save you, captain.

Ber. Is there any

and you, monsieur ?

unkindness between my lord

Par. I know not how I have deserved to run into my lord's displeasure.

Laf. You have made shift to run into't, boots and spurs and all, like him that leap'd into the custard; and out of it you'll run again, rather than suffer question for your residence.

3

Ber. It may be you have mistaken him, my lord. Laf. And shall do so ever, though I took him at his prayers. Fare you well, my lord; and believe

2 In the old copies this line is printed, — -"And, ere I do begin;" as if it were a broken sentence. For the happy correction we are indebted to Mr. Collier, who took it from an old manuscript note in Lord Francis Egerton's copy of the first folio. As it is but putting an E for an A, and gives a sense at once clear and apt, we have no scruples in adopting it.

H.

3 It was a piece of foolery practised at city entertainments, when an allowed fool or jester was in fashion, for him to jump into a large deep custard set for the purpose, to cause laughter among the spectators. Ben Jonson mentions it in his play, 'The Devil is an Ass, Act i. sc. 1:

"He may, perchance, in tail of a sheriff's dinner,
Skip with a rhyme on the table, from New-nothing,
And take his Almain-leap into a custard,
Shall make my lady mayoress and her sisters
Laugh all their hoods over their shoulders."

this of me, there can be no kernel in this light nut; the soul of this man is his clothes: trust him not in matter of heavy consequence; I have kept of them tame, and know their natures. - Farewell, monsieur : I have spoken better of you than you have or will deserve at my hand; but we must do good against evil. [Exit.

Par. An idle lord, I swear.

Ber. I think not so.

Par. Why, do you know him?

Ber. Yes, I do know him well; and common

speech

Gives him a worthy pass.

Here comes my clog.

Enter HELENA.

Hel. I have, sir, as I was commanded from you, Spoke with the king, and have procur'd his leave For present parting: only he desires

Some private speech with you.

Ber.

I shall obey his will.

You must not marvel, Helen, at my course,
Which holds not colour with the time, nor does
The ministration and required office

On my particular: prepar'd I was not

For such a business; therefore am I found

So much unsettled. This drives me to entreat you,
That presently you take your way for home;
And rather muse than ask why I entreat you,
For my respects are better than they seem;
And my appointments have in them a need,
Greater than shows itself, at the first view,
To you that know them not. This to my mother
[Giving a letter
"Twill be two days ere I shall see you; so,
I leave you to your wisdom.

Hel.

Sir, I can nothing say,

But that I am your most obedient servant.

Ber. Come, come, no more of that.

Hel.

And ever shall

With true observance seek to eke out that,

Wherein toward me my homely stars have fail'd

To equal my great fortune.

Ber.

My haste is very great.

Let that go:
Farewell; hie home.

Hel. Pray, sir, your pardon.

Ber.

Well, what would you say?

Hel. I am not worthy of the wealth I owe;*
Nor dare I say 'tis mine, and yet it is;

But, like a timorous thief, most fain would steal
What law does vouch mine own.

Ber.

What would you have? Hel. Something, and scarce so much :—nothing,

indeed.

I would not tell you what I would, my lord- -'faith,

yes;

Strangers and foes do sunder, and not kiss.

Ber. I pray you stay not, but in haste to horse. Hel. I shall not break your bidding, good my lord. Where are my other men? monsieur, farewell.

[Exit. Ber. Go thou toward home; where I will never

come,

Whilst I can shake my sword, or hear the drum. — Away! and for our flight.

Par.

Bravely, coragio!
[Exeunt

+ Possess, or own.

Flourish.

ACT III.

SCENE I. Florence.

A Room in the DUKE's Palace.

Enter the DUKE of Florence, attendeil ; French Envoy, French Gentleman, and Soldiers.

Duke. So that, from point to point, now have you heard

The fundamental reasons of this war;

Whose great decision hath much blood let forth, And more thirsts after.

Would, in so just a business, shut his bosom

Against our borrowing prayers.

Env.

Good my lord,

The reasons of our state I cannot yield,'
But like a common and an outward man,2
That the great figure of a council frames
By self-unable motion: therefore, dare not
Say what I think of it; since I have found
Myself in my uncertain grounds to fail
As often as I guess'd.

Duke.

Be it his pleasure.

Env. But I am sure, the younger of our nature,'

1 That is, I cannot inform you of the reasons.

sense.

One not in the secret of affairs: so, inward in a contrary

8 As we say at present, our young fellows.