Par. Worthy fellows, and like to prove most sinewy sword-men. [Exeunt BERTRAM, and PAROLLES. Enter LAFEU. Laf. Pardon, my Lord,-[Kneeling.]—for me and for my tidings. King. I'll see thee to stand up. Laf. Then here's a man stands, that has brought his pardon. I would, you had kneel'd, my lord, to ask me mercy, And that, at my bidding, you could so stand up. King. I would I had; so I had broke thy pate, And ask'd thee mercy for't. Laf. Goodfaith, across. But, my good lord, 'tis thus; Will you be cur'd of your infirmity? King. No. With that malignant cause, wherein the honour King. We thank you, maiden; But may not be so credulous of cure: When our most learned doctors leave us, and The congregated college have concluded That labouring art can never ransom nature From her inaidable estate, I say, we must not So stain our judgment, or corrupt our hope, To prostitute our past-cure malady To empirics; or to dissever so 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. Thou thought'st to help me, and such thanks I give, From simple sources; and great seas have dried, Thy pains, not us'd, must by thyself be paid: King. Methinks, in thee some blessed spirit doth speak, His powerful sound within an organ weak; In common sense, sense saves another way. That happiness and prime can happy call: Hel. If I break time, or flinch in property Of what I spoke, unpitied let me die; And well deserv'd. Not helping, death's my fee; Hel. Hel. Then shalt thou give me with thy kingly hand What husband in thy power I will command: To choose from forth the royal blood of France, King. Here is my hand; the premises observ'd, More should I question thee, and more I must, SCENE II.-Rousillon. A Room in the COUNTESS'S Palace. Enter COUNTESS, and Clown. Count. Come on, sir: I shall now put you to the height of your breeding. Clo. I will show myself highly fed, and lowly taught. I know my business is but to the court. Count. To the court! why, what place make you special, when you put off that with such contempt ? But to the court! Clo. Truly, madam, if God have lent a man any manners, he may easily put it off at court: he that cannot make a leg, put off's cap, kiss his hand, and say nothing, has neither leg, hands, lip, nor cap; and, indeed, such a fellow, to say precisely, were not for the court. But, for me, I have an answer will serve all men. Count. Marry, that's a bountiful answer, that fits all questions. Clo. It is like a barber's chair, that fits all buttocks; the pin-buttock, the quatch-buttock, the brawn-buttock, or any buttock. Count. Will your answer serve fit to all questions? Clo. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney, as your French crown for your taffata punk, as Tib's rush for Tom's fore-finger, as a pan Par. Right; as 'twere a man assured of anLaf. Uncertain life, and sure death. Par. Just, you say well; so would I have said. Laf. I may truly say, it is a novelty to the world. Par. It is, indeed: if you will have it in showing, you shall read it in,-what do you call there?— Laf. A showing of a heavenly effect in an earthly actor. Par. That's it I would have said; the very same. Laf. Why, your dolphin is not lustier: 'fore me, I speak in respect Par. Nay, 'tis strange; 'tis very strange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he is of a most facinorous spirit, that will not acknowledge it to be the Laf. Very hand of heaven. Laf. In a most weak Par. And debile minister, great power, great transcendence; which should, indeed, give us a further use to be made, than alone the recovery of the king, as to be Laf. Generally thankful. Enter KING, HELENA, and Attendants. Par. I would have said it; you say well. Here comes the king. Laf. Lustick, as the Dutchman says: I'll like a maid the better, whilst I have a tooth in my head. Why, he's able to lead her a coranto. Par. Mort du vinaigre! Is not this Helen? King. Go, call before me all the lords in court.[Exit an Attendant. Sit, my preserver, by thy patient's side; And with this healthful hand, whose banish'd sense Enter several Lords. Fair maid, send forth thine eye: this youthful parcel Of noble bachelors stand at my bestowing, Thou hast power to choose, and they none to forsake. Hel. To each of you one fair and virtuous mistress Fall, when love please!-marry, to each, but one. Let the white death sit on thy cheek for ever: We'll ne'er come there again." King. Make choice; and, Who shuns thy love, shuns all his love in me. Hel. Now, Dian, from thy altar do I fly, see, And to imperial Love, that god most high, Do my sighs stream.-Sir, will you hear my suit? 1 Lord. And grant it. Hel. Thanks, sir: all the rest is mute. Laf. I had rather be in this choice, than throw ames-ace for my life. Hel. The honour, sir, that flames in your fair eyes, Before I speak, too threateningly replies: Love make your fortunes twenty times above Her that so wishes, and her humble love! 2 Lord. No better, if you please. Hel. My wish receive, Which great Love grant! and so I take my leave. Laf. Do all they deny her? An they were sons of mine, I'd have them whipped, or I would send them to the Turk to make eunuchs of. Hel. [To 3 Lord.] Be not afraid that I your hand should take; I'll never do you wrong for your own sake: Laf. These boys are boys of ice, they'll none have her: sure, they are bastards 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 so. Laf. There's one grape yet,-I am sure, thy father drank wine.-But if thou be'st not an ass, I am a youth of fourteen: I have known thee already. Hel. [To BERTRAM.] I dare not say, I take you; but I give Me, and my service, ever whilst I live, Ber. My wife, my liege? I shall beseech your highness, In such a business give me leave to use King. Know'st thou not, Bertram, I can build up. Strange is it, that our bloods, All that is virtuous, (save what thou dislik'st, It is a dropsied honour: good alone Is good, without a name; vileness is so: The property by what it is should go, Not by the title. She is young, wise, fair; In these to nature she's immediate heir, King. My honour's at the stake, which to defeat, Shall weigh thee to the beam; that wilt not know, Of youth and ignorance; both my revenge and hate, Loosing upon thee in the name of justice, Without all terms of pity. Speak: thine answer. Ber. Pardon, my gracious lord, for I submit King. A balance more replete. Ber. I take her hand. King. Good fortune, and the favour of the king, Smile upon this contract; whose ceremony Shall seem expedient on the now-born brief, [Exeunt KING, BERTRAM, HELENA, Lords, Laf. Do you hear, monsieur? a word with you. Par. Your pleasure, sir? Laf. Your lord and master did well to make his recantation. Par. Recantation?-My lord? my master? Laf. Ay; is it not a language, I speak? Par. A most harsh one, and not to be understood without bloody succeeding. My master? Laf. Are you companion to the count Rousillon? Par. To any count; to all counts; to what is man. Laf. To what is count's man: count's master is of another style. Par. You are too old, sir: let it satisfy you, you are too old. Laf. I must tell thee, sirrah, I write man; to which title age cannot bring thee. Par. What I dare too well do, I dare not do. ACT II. SCENE 3.-Scurvy, old, filthy, scurvy lord' Laf. I did think thee, for two ordinaries, to be a pretty wise fellow: thou didst make tolerable vent of thy travel: it might pass; yet the scarfs, and the bannerets about thee, did manifoldly dissuade me from believing thee a vessel of too great a burden. I have now found thee: when I lose thee again, I care not; yet art thou good for nothing but taking up, and that thou'rt scarce worth. Par. Hadst thou not the privilege of antiquity upon thee, Laf. Do not plunge thyself too far in anger, lest thou hasten thy trial; which if-Lord have mercy on thee for a hen! So, my good window of lattice, fare thee well: thy casement I need not open, for I look through thee. Give me thy hand. Par. My lord, you give me most egregious indignity. Laf. Ay, with all my heart; and thou art worthy of it. Par. I have not, my lord, deserved it. Laf. Yes, good faith, every drachm of it; and I will not bate thee a scruple. Par. Well, I shall be wiser. Laf. E'en as soon as thou canst, for thou hast to pull at a smack o' the contrary. If ever thou be'st bound in thy scarf, and beaten, thou shalt find what |