Not here, sir? HEL. GENT. He hence remov'd last night, and with more haste Than is his use. WID. Lord, how we lose our pains! HEL. All's well that ends well, yet; Though time seem so advérse, and means unfit.I do beseech you, whither is he gone? GENT. Marry, as I take it, to Rousillon; HEL. This I'll do for you. HEL. And you shall find yourself to be well thank'd, Whate'er falls more. We must to horse again ;Go, go, provide. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Rousillon. The inner Court of the Countess's Palace. Enter Clown and PAROLLES. PAR. Good monsieur Lavatch, give my lord Lafeu this letter: I have ere now, sir, been better known to you, when I have held familiarity with fresher clothes; but I am now, sir, muddied in fortune's mood, and smell somewhat strong of her strong displeasure. CLO. Truly, fortune's displeasure is but sluttish, if it smell so strong as thou speakest of: I will henceforth eat no fish of fortune's buttering. Pr'ythee, allow the wind. PAR. Nay, you need not stop your nose, sir; I spake but by a metaphor. CLO. Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my nose; or against any man's metaphor. Pr'ythee, get thee further. a Muddied in fortune's mood,-] Warburton reads, moat, and we have an impression that moat was the author's word. PAR. 'Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper. CLO. Foh! pr'ythee stand away; a paper from fortune's close-stool to give to a nobleman! Look, here he comes himself. Enter LAFEU. Here is a pur of fortune's, sir, or of fortune's cat, (but not a musk-cat,) that has fallen into the unclean fishpond of her displeasure, and, as he says, is muddied withal: pray you, sir, use the carp as you may, for he looks like a poor, decayed, ingenious, foolish, rascally knave. I do pity his distress in my smiles of comfort, and leave him to your lordship. [Exit Clown. PAR. My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly scratched. LAF. And what would you have me to do? 'tis too late to pare her nails now. Wherein have you played the knave with fortune, that she should scratch you, who of herself is a good lady, and would not have knaves thrive long under her? There's a quart d'écu for you: let the justices make you and fortune friends; I am for other business. PAR. I beseech your honour, to hear me one single word. LAF. You beg a single penny more: come, you shall ha't; save your word. PAR. My name, my good lord, is Parolles. LAF. You beg more than word," then.-Cox' my passion! give me your hand. How does your drum? PAR. O my good lord, you were the first that found me. LAF. Was I, in sooth? and I was the first that lost thee. PAR. It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring me out. LAF. Out upon thee, knave! dost thou put upon me at once both the office of God and the devil? one brings thee in grace, and the other brings thee out. Trumpets sound.] The king's coming, I know by his trumpets.-Sirrah, inquire further after me; I had talk of you last night; though you are a fool and a knave, you shall eat; go to, follow. PAR. I praise God for you. [Exeunt. I have forgiven and forgotten all; Of richest eyes, whose words all ears took captive; KING. Praising what is lost, Makes the remembrance dear. Well, call him hither; We are reconcil'd, and the first view shall kill I shall, my liege. [Exit Gentleman. KING. What says he to your daughter? have you spoke? LAF. All that he is hath reference to your highness. KING. Then shall we have a match. I have letters sent me, That set him high in fame. The inaudible and noiseless foot of time BER. Admiringly, my liege: at first Our rash faults Like a remorseful pardon slowly carried, COUNT. Which better than the first, O dear heaven, bless! Or, ere they meet, in me O nature cesse ! [name And mak'st conjectural+ fears to come into me, d 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. (*) Old text, Platus. [Exit BERTRAM, guarded. (+) First folio, connectural. (1) First folio, taze. d Shall tax my fears of little vanity,-] "The proofs which I have already had are sufficient to show that my fears were not vain and irrational, I have rather been hitherto more easy than I ought, and have unreasonably had too little fear."-JOHNSON. Enter a Gentleman. KING. I am wrapp'd in dismal thinkings. GENT. Who hath, for four or five removes, come short 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 honour'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, in you it best lies; otherwise a seducer flourishes, and 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. [Lafeu, KING. The heavens have thought well on thee, 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 snatch'd. COUNT. Now, justice on the doers! [wife? marry, DIA. Why do you look so strange upon your BER. She's none of mine, my lord. DIA. If shall you 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 embodied 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, [highness Whom sometime I have laugh'd with: let your Lay a more noble thought upon mine honour, Than for to think that I would sink it here. KING. Sir, for my thoughts, you have them ill to friend, [honour, KING. What say'st thou to her? 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, He it to a commoner o' the camp, gave If I be one. COUNT. He blushes, and 'tis it: Of six preceding ancestors, that gem Conferr'd by testament to the sequent issue, Hath it been ow'd 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. [Exit Attendants. What of him? He's quoted for a most perfidious slave, With all the spots o' the world tax'd and debosh'd; Whose nature sickens, but to speak a truth. BER. b I wonder, sir, since wives, &c.] The old text is, "I wonder, sir, sir, wives," &c. The correction is due to Tyrwhitt. c Re-enter, &c.] In the ancient stage direction, "Enter Widow, Diana, and Parolles." PAR. I am a poor man, command. Am I or that, or this, for what he'll utter, KING. DIA. I must be patient; You, that turn'd off a first so noble wife, May justly diet me. I pray you yet, (Since you lack virtue, I will lose a husband,) Send for your ring, I will return it home, And give me mine again. BER. I have it not. KING. What ring was yours, I pray you? DIA. Sir, much like [of late. The same upon your finger. KING. Know you this ring? this ring was his DIA. And this was it I gave him, being a-bed. KING. The story then goes false, you threw it him charge you, Not fearing the displeasure of your master, (Which, on your just proceeding, I'll keep off,) By him, and by this woman here, what know you? PAR. So please your majesty, my master hath been an honourable gentleman; tricks he hath had in him, which gentlemen have. KING. Come, come, to the purpose: did he love this woman? PAR. 'Faith, sir, he did love her; but how! KING. How, I pray you? [a woman. PAR. He did love her, sir, as a gentleman loves KING. How is that? PAR. He loved her, sir, and loved her not. KING. As thou art a knave, and no knave:· :what an equivocal companion is this? a Her infinite cunning with her modern grace,-] The old copy reads, "Her insuite comming," &c. The extremely happy emendation in the text was first suggested by the late Mr. Sidney Walker, and has since been found among the annotations of Mr. Collier's "Old Corrector." and at your majesty's LAF. He's a good drum, my lord, but a naughty orator. DIA. Do you know, he promised me marriage? PAR. 'Faith, I know more than I'll speak. KING. But wilt thou not speak all thou know'st? PAR. Yes, so please your majesty; I did go between them, as I said; but more than that, he loved her for, indeed, he was mad for her, and talked of Satan, and of limbo, and of furies, and I know not what: yet I was in that credit with them at that time, that I knew of their going to bed, and of other motions, as, promising her marriage, and things that would derive me ill-will to speak of, therefore I will not speak what I know. KING. Thou hast spoken all already, unless thou canst say they are married. But thou art too fine in thy evidence; therefore stand aside.This ring, you say, was yours? DIA. you 1? |