Count. You were lately whip'd, fir, as I think.
Clo. O Lord, fir,Spare not me.

Count. Do you cry, O Lord, fir, at your whipping, and Spare not me? Indeed, your O Lord, fir, is very fequent to your whipping; you would answer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to't.

f

Clo. I ne'er had worfe luck in my life, in my. -0 Lord, fir: I fee, things may ferve long but not ferve ever. Count. I play the noble housewife with the time, to entertain it fo merrily with a fool.

Clo. O Lord, fir,-why, there't ferves well again.

Count. An end, fir, to your business: Give Helen this, And urge her to a present answer back :

Commend me to my kinfmen, and my fon;
This is not much.

Clo. Not much commendation to them.

Count. Not much employment for you: You under

stand me?

Clo. Moft fruitfully; I am there before my legs.
Count. Hafte you again.

SCENE III.

The Court of France.

Enter Bertram, Lafeu, and Parolles.

[Exeunt.

Laf. They fay, miracles are paft; and we have our philofophical perfons, to make modern and familiar, things fupernatural and caufelefs. Hence is it, that we make trifles of terrors; enfconcing ourselves into seeming

f bound to't.]-to say so.

modern]-cheap.

h

h caufelefs.]-independent on fecond causes.

knowledge,

knowledge, when we should submit ourselves to an unknown fear.

Par. Why, 'tis the rareft argument of wonder, that hath fhot out in our later times.

Ber. And fo 'tis.

Laf. To be relinquifh'd of the artists,-
Par. So I fay.-

Laf. Both of Galen and Paracelfus, of all the learned

k

and authentic fellows,

Par. Right, fo I fay.

Laf. That gave him out incurable,

Par. Why, there 'tis ; fo fay I too.

Laf. Not to be help'd,—

Par. Right; as 'twere, a man affur'd of an

Laf. Uncertain life, and fure death. '

Par. Juft, you fay well; fo would I have faid.

Laf. I may truly fay, it is a novelty to the world. Par. It is, indeed: if you will have it a fhewing-you fhall read it in,-What do you call there?—

Laf. A'fhewing of a heavenly effect in an earthly actor. Par. That's it I would have faid; the very fame.

m

Laf. Why, your dolphin is not luftier: 'fore me I speak in respect

n

Par. Nay, 'tis ftrange, 'tis very strange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he is of a moft " facinorous fpirit, that will not acknowledge it to be the

Laf. Very hand of heaven.

Par. Ay, fo I fay.

Laf. In a moft weak and debile minister, great power, great transcendence: which fhould, indeed, give us a farther use to be made, than alone the recovery of the king. Par. As to be

Laf. Generally thankful.

i an unknown fear.]-the object of it.

k authentic]-regular.

facinorous]-wicked.

A fhewing of a &c.]-the title of fome pamphlet is here pretended. your dolphin]-the Dauphin.

n

Enter

Enter King, Helena, and attendants.

Par. I would have faid it; you fay well: Here comes the king.

Laf. 'Lustigh, as the Dutchman fays: I'll like a maid the better, while I have a tooth in my head: Why, he's able to lead her a corranto.

Par. Mort du Vinaigre! Is not this Helen?
Laf. 'Fore God, I think fo.

King. Go, call before me all the lords in court.

Sit, my preferver, by thy patient's fide;

And with this healthful hand, whose banish'd sense
Thou haft repeal'd, a fecond time receive

The confirmation of my promis'd gift,

Which but attends thy naming.

Enter feveral Lords.

Fair maid, fend forth thine eye: this youthful parcel
Of noble bachelors stand at my bestowing,

O'er whom both fovereign power and father's voice
I have to use: thy frank election make;

Thou haft power to chufe, and they none to forfake.

Hel. To each of you one fair and virtuous mistress
Fall, when love please !-marry, to each but one!
Laf. I'd give 'bay curtal, and his furniture,
My mouth no more were 'broken than these boys',
And writ as little beard.

King. Perufe them well:

Not one of those, but had a noble father.

Luftigh,]-ftout, lufty.

P Mort du Vinaigre !]-an evafive fubftitute for " Mort Dieu." but one !]-except Bertram; modeftly excluding herself from the title of a fair and virtuous mistress, at the fame time that the hoped to

be his.

broken-from lofs of teeth. Hel.

Hel. Gentlemen,

Heaven hath, through me, restored the king to health.
All. We understand it, and thank heaven for you.
Hel. I am a fimple maid; and therein wealthieft,
That, I proteft, I fimply am a maid :-

Please it your majefty, I have done already :
The blushes in my cheeks thus whisper me,
We blush, that thou should't chufe;-' but, be refus'd,
Let the white death fit on thy cheek for ever,

We'll ne'er come there again.

King. Make choice; and fee,

t

Who fhuns thy love fhuns all his love in me.
Hel. Now, Dian, from thy altar do I fly;
And to imperial love, that god most high,
Do my fighs ftream.-Sir, will you hear my
fuit?

I Lord. And grant it.

Hel. Thanks, fir; all the reft is mute.

While Helena, makes her choice,

Laf. and Par ftand apart,fo as to fee, but not bearwhat paffes.

Laf. I had rather be in this choice, than throw "amesace for my life.

Hel. The honour, fir, that flames in your fair eyes,

Before I speak, too threatningly replies:

Love make your fortunes twenty times above

Her that fo wishes, and her humble love! 2 Lord. No better, if you please.

Hel. My wifh receive,

Which great love grant! and so I take my leave.

Laf. Do all they deny her? An they were fons of mine, I'd have them whipt; or I would fend them to the Turk, to make eunuchs of.

but, be refus'd, Let the white death]-fhould't thou be refus'd too, then let palenefs, the emblem of death, &c.

"all the reft is mute.]—I have no more to offer.

ames ace]-both the aces; or the lowest caft at dice-I'd rather be married, than run fuch a rifque of being hanged.

VOL. II.

D d

Hel.

Hel. Be not afraid that I your hand should take;
I'll never do you wrong for your own fake:
Bleffing upon your vows! and in your bed
Find fair fortune, if you ever wed!

Laf. Thefe boys are boys of ice, they'll none of her: fure, they are baftards 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 fo.

y

Laf. There's one grape yet, I am fure, thy father * drunk wine.--But if thou be'ft not an afs, I am a youth of fourteen; I have known thee already.

Hel. I dare not fay, I take you; but I give Me, and my service, ever whilft I live,

Into your guiding power. This is the man.

[To Bertram.

King. Why then, young Bertram, take her, fhe's thy

wife.

Ber. My wife, my liege? I fhall befeech your highness, In fuch a business give me leave to use

The help of mine own eyes.

King. Know'st thou not, Bertram,

What the hath done for me?

Ber. Yes, my good lord;

But never hope to know why I fhould marry her.
King. Thou know'ft, fhe has rais'd me from my fickly

bed.

Ber. But follows it, my lord, to bring me down
Must answer for your raifing? I know her well;
She had her breeding at my father's charge:
A poor physician's daughter my wife!-Difdain
Rather corrupt me ever!

* drunk wine.]-put good blood into thy veins.

Y Parolles.