Par. Right, fo I say.

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 in fhewing, you shall read it in,-What do you call there? Laf. A fhewing of a heavenly effect in an earthly actor.

I

Par. That's it I would have faid; the very fame. Laf. Why, your dolphin is not luftier: 'fore me I fpeak in respect

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 say.

Laf. In a moft weak

Par. And debile minifter, great power, great tranfcendence: which should, indeed, give us a farther ufe 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 faid it; you fay well: Here comes the king.

Laf. Luftick 3, as the Dutchman says: 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.

Weblush, that thou fhould'ft 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,

Who Thuns 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 stream.-Sir, will you hear my fuit ?
1 Lord. And grant it.

Hel. Thanks, fir; all the reft is mute 7.
Laf. I had rather be in this choice, than throw
ames-ace 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 I
2 Lord. No better, if you please.
Hel. My wifh receive,

Which great Love grant! and fo 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.

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

Laf. These boys are boys of ice, they'll none of her: fure, 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 fon out of my blood.

4 Lord. Fair one, I think not fo.

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

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

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

Hel. I dare not fay, I take you; but I give

And with this healthful hand, whose banish'd fense Me, and my fervice, ever whilst I live,

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 thune eye: this youthful parcel

Of noble bachelors ftand at my bestowing,

Into your guiding power. This is the man.

[To Bertram.

King. Why then, young Bertram, take her, she's thy wife. [highness Ber. My wife, my liege? I fhall befeech your In fuch a business give me leave to use

O'er whom both fovereign power and father's voice The help of mine own eyes.

I have to ufe: 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 4, and his furniture,"
My mouth no more were broken 5 than thefe boys',
And writ as little beard.

King. Perufe them well :

Not one of thofe but had a noble father.

Hel. Gentlemen,

Heaven hath, through me, restor'd 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 checks thus whisper me,

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, she has rais'd me from my

fickly bed.

Ber. But follows it, my lord, to bring me down
Must answer for your raising? 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!
[which

King. 'Tis only title thou difdain'ft in her, the
I can build up. Strange is it, that our bloods,
Of colour, weight, and heat, pour'd all together,
Would quite confound diftinction, yet stand off
In differences fo mighty: If the be

I By dolphin is meant the dauphin. 2 i. e. wicked. 3 i. e. lufty, chearful, pleasant. 4 A bay

dock'd horfe.

·7 i. e. filence.

s Meaning, had loft no more of its teeth.

i. e. the loweft chance of the dice.

Meaning, perhaps, the chlorofis.

All

All that is virtuous (fave what thou dislik'st,
A poor phyfician's daughter), thou dislik'st
Of virtue for the name: but do not fo:
From lowest place when virtuous things proceed,
The place is dignify'd by the doer's deed:
Where great addition fwells, and virtue none,
It is a dropfied honour: good alone
Is good, without a name; vileness is fo:
The property by what it is fhould go,

Not by the title. She is young, wife, fair;
In these to nature she's immediate heir;
And these breed honour: that is honour's scorn,
Which challenges itself as honour's born,
And is not like the fire: Honours beft thrive
When rather from our acts we them derive
Than our foregoers: the mere word's a slave,
Debauch'd on every tomb; on every grave,
A lying trophy; and as oft is dumb,
Where duft, and damn'd oblivion, is the tomb
Of honour'd bones indeed. What should be faid?
If thou canst like this creature as a maid,
1 can create the reft: virtue, and she,
Is her own dower: honour, and wealth, from me.
Ber. I cannot love her, nor will strive to do't.
King. Thou wrong'st thyself, if thou should'ft
ftrive to chufe.

(glad;

Hel. That you are well reftor'd, my lord, I'm Let the reft go

King. My honour's at the stake; which to de-
feat 1;

I muft produce my power: Here, take her hand,
Proud fcornful boy, unworthy this good gift;
That doft in vile mifprifion fhackle up

My love, and her defert; that canft not dream,
We, poizing us in her defective scale,

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 feem expedient on the new-born brief 3,
And be perform'd to-night; the folemn feast
Shall more attend upon the coming space,
Expecting abfent friends. As thou lov'st her,
Thy love's to me religious; elfe, does err.

[Exeunt all but Parolles and Lafe.
Laf. Do you hear, monfieur? a word with you.
Par. Your pleafure, fir?

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 fpeak?
Par. A moft harth one; and not to be under-
ftood without bloody fucceeding. My mafter?
Laf. Are you companion to the count Roufillon?
Par. To any count; to all counts; to what is

man.

Lef. To what is count's man; count's master is of another stile.

Par. You are too old, fir; let it fatisfy you, your are too old.

Laf. I must tell thee, firrah, I write man; to which title age cannot bring thee.

Par. What I dare too well do, I dare not do.

Laf. I did think thee, for two ordinaries 4, to be a pretty wife fellow; thou didst make tolerable vent of thy travel; it might pafs: yet the scarfs, and the bannerets, about thee, did manifoldly dif fuade me from believing thee a veffel of too great a burden. I have now found thee; when I lofe thee again, I care not: yet art thou good for no

Shall weigh thee to the beam; that wilt not know, thing but taking up 5; and that thou art scarce

It is in us to plant thine honour, where
We please to have it grow: Check thy contempt :
Obey our will, which travails in thy good:
Believe not thy difdain, but prefently

Do thine own fortunes that obedient right,
Which both thy duty owes, and our power claims;
Or I will throw thee from my care for ever,
Into the staggers 2, and the careless lapse
Of youth and ignorance; both my revenge and hate,
Loofing upon thee in the name of justice,
Without all terms of pity: Speak; thine answer.
Ber. Pardon, my gracious lord; for I fubmit
My fancy to your eyes: When I confider,
What great creation, and what dole of honour,"
Flies where you bid it, I find, that she, which late
Was in my nobler thoughts most base, is now
The praised of the king; who, fo ennobled,
Is, as 'twere, born fo.

King. Take her by the hand,

And tell her, the is thine: to whom I promise
A counterpoize; if not to thy estate,

Par. I have not, my lord, deferv'd it.

Laf. Yes, good faith, every dram of it; and I will not bate thee a scruple.

Par. Well, I fhall be wiser.

Laf. E'en as foon as thou canft, for thou hast to pull at a fmack o' the contrary. If ever thou be'it bound in thy scarf, and beaten, thou shalt find what it is to be proud of thy bondage. I have a defire to hold my acquaintance with thee, or rather my

The French verb defaire (from whence our defeat) fignifies to free, to difembarrass, as well as to frey and in this fenfe, we apprehend, defeat is here ufed. 2 Alluding to that fpecies of the Baggers, or the horfes apoplexy, which makes the animal dafh himfelf with deftructive violence agaaft pofts or walls. 3 The brief is the contract of efpoufal, or the licence of the church. 4 Ordi nary here means dinner, 5. To take up means to contradict, to call to account, as well as to pick off the ground.

knowledge,

knowledge; that I may fay in the default, he is a Which should fuftain the bound and high curvet man I know. Of Mars's fiery fteed: To other regions! France is a ftable; we that dwell in 't, jades ; Therefore, to the war!

Par. My lord, you do me most infupportable vexation.

Ber. It shall be fo; I'll fend her to my houfe,
Acquaint my mother with my hate to her,
And wherefore I am fled; write to the king
That which I durft not speak: His prefent gift
Shall furnish me to those Italian fields,

Laf. I would it were hell-pains for thy fake, and my poor doing eternal: for doing 2, I am past, as I will by thee, in what motion age will give me leave. [Exit. Par. Well, thou hast a son shall take this difgrace off me; fcurvy, old, filthy, fcurvy lord!-Where noble fellows ftrike: War is no ftrife Well, I must be patient; there is no fettering of To the dark houfe 4, and the detefted wife. authority. I'll beat him, by my life, if I can meet Par. Will this capricio hold in thee, art fure? him with any convenience, an he were double and Ber. Go with me to my chamber, and advise me. double a lord., I'll have no more pity of his age, than I'll send her straight away: To-morrow I would have of-I'll beat him, an if I could but I'll to the wars, fhe to her fingle forrow. meet him again.

Par. Why, these balls bound; there's noife in
it.Tis hard;

A young man married, is a man that's marr'd:
Therefore away, and leave her bravely; go:
The king has done you wrong; but, hufh! 'tis fo.
[Excent.

Laf. The devil it is, that's thy mafter. Why fhe's very merry; but yet she's not well: but, doft thou garter up thy arms o' this fashion? doft thanks be given, the's very well, and wants nothing make hofe of thy fleeves? do other fervants fo?' the world; but yet the is not well.

Thou wert best set thy lower part where thy note ttands. By mine honour, if I were but two hours younger, I'd beat thee: methinks, thou art a general offence, and every man thould beat thee. I think, thou waft created for men to breathe themfelves upon thee.

Het. If the be very well, what does the ail, that he's not very well?

Clo. Truly, fhe's very well, indeed, but for twe things.

Hel. What two things?

Clo. One, that fhe's not in heaven, whither God

Par. This is hard and undeferved measure, my fend her quickly! the other, that he's in earth, lord. from whence God fend her quickly! Enter Paralles.

Laf. Go to, fir; you were beaten in Italy for picking a kernel out of a pomegranate; you are a vagabond, and no true traveller: you are more faucy with lords, and honourable perfonages, than the heraldry of your birth and virtue gives you commillion. You are not worth another word, elfe I'd call you knave. I leave you. [Exit.

Enter Bertram.
Par. Good, very good; it is fo then.--Good,
very good; let it be conceal'd a while.

Ber. Undone, and forfeited to cares for ever!
Par. What is the matter, fweet-heart?
Ber. Although before the folemn priest I have
I will not bed her.
[fworn,

Par. What? what, fweet-heart?

Ber. O my Parolles, they have married me :I'll to the Tufcan wars, and never bed her.

Par. France is a dog-hole, and it no more merits
The tread of a man's foot: to the wars!
Ber. There's letters from my mother; what the
I know not yet.
[import is,
Par. Ay, that would be known: To the wars,
my boy, to the wars!

He wears his honour in a box unfcen,
That hugs his kickfy-wickly 3 here at home;
Spending his manly marrow in her arms,

1 i. e. at a need.

Par. Bless you, my fortunate lady!

Hel. I hope, fir, I have your good will to have mine own good fortunes.

Par. You have my prayers to lead them on; and to keep them on, have them still.-0, my knave! how does my old lady?

Clo. So that you had her wrinkles, and 1 her money, I would she did as you say.

Par. Why, I fay nothing.

Clo. Marry, you are the wiser man; for many a man's tongue thakes out his master's undoing: To fay nothing, to do nothing, to know nothing, and to have nothing, is to be a great part of your title; which is within a very little of nothing.

Par. Away, thou'rt a knave.

Clo. You should have faid, fir, before a knave, thou art a knave; that is, before me, thou art a knave; this had been truth, fir.

Par. Go to, thou art a witty fool, I have found

thee.

Clo. Did you find me in yourself, fir? or were you taught to find me? The fearch, fir, was profitable; and much fool may you find in you, even to the world's pleasure, and the increase of laughter.

Doing is here ufed obfcenely. 3 Sir T. Hanmer obferves, that kickfy-wickly is a made word in ridicule and difdain of a wife. 4 Probably meaning a mouky house.

Par.

and you, monfieur ?

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

Par. A good knave, i'faith, and well fed.Malam, my lord will go away to-night; A very ferious bufinefs calls on him. The great prerogative and right of love, [ledge;! Laf. You have made shift to run into't, boots and Which, as your due, time claims, he does acknow-fpurs and all, like him that leapt into the custard 2; But puts it off by a compell'd restraint; [fweets, and out of it you'll run again, rather than fuffer Whole want, and whofe delay, is ftrew'd with question for your refidence. Which they diftil now in the curbed time, To make the coming hour o'erflow with joy, And pleasure drown the brim.

Hel. What's his will else?

Ber. It may be, you have mistaken him, my

lord.

Laf. And fhall do fo ever, though I took him [king,at's prayers. Fare you well, my lord: and believe this of me, There can be no kernel in this light nut; the foul of this man is his clothes: truft him not in matter of heavy confequence; I have kept of them tame, and know their natures.-Farewell, monfieur: I have spoken better of you, than you

Par. That you will take your instant leave o'the
And make this hafte as your own good proceeding,
Strengthen'd with what apology you think,
May make it probable need 1.

Hel. What more commands he?

Par. That, having this obtain'd, you prefently have or will deferve at my hand: but we muit do Attend his further pleasure.

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

good against evil.

Par. An idle lord, I fwear.

Ber. I think fo.

Par. Why, do you not know him?

[Exit.

Ber. Yes, I know him well; and common fpeech
Gives him a worthy pafs. Here comes my clog.
Enter Helena.

Hel. I have, fir, as I was commanded from you,
Spoke with the king, and have procur'd his leave
For prefent parting; only, he defires
Some private fpeech with you.

Ber. I fhall obey his will.

You must not marvel, Helen, at my course,

Lef. Then my dial goes not true; I took this Which holds not colour with the time, nor does

lark for a bunting.

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

Lf. I have then finned against his experience,
and tranfgrefs'd agunit his valour; and my ftate
that way is dangerous, fince I cannot yet find in
my heart to repent: Here he comes; 1
pray you
make us friends, I will pursue the amity.
Enter Parolles.

Par. Thefe things fhall be done, fir.
Laf. I pray you, fir, who's his taylor ?

Par. Sir?

Laf. O, I know him well: Ay, fir; he, fir, Is 1 good workman, a very good taylor.

Ber. Is the gone to the king? [fide to Parolles.

Par. She is.

Ber. Will the away to-night?

Par. As you'll have her.

Ber. I have writ my letters, cafketed my trea-
Given order for our horfes; and to-night, [fure,
When I should take poffeffion of the bride,—
And, ere I do begin,-

Lef. A good traveller is fomething at the latter
end of a dinner; but one that lies three thirds, and
des a known truth to pass a thousand nothings
with, should be once heard and thrice beaten.-
God fave you, captain.

The miniitration and required office
On my particular: prepar'd I was not
For fuch a bufinefs; therefore am I found

For

So much unfettled : This drives me to intreat you,
That prefently you take your way for home;
And rather mufe 3, than afk, why I entreat you:
my refpects are better than they feem;
And
my appointments have in them a need,
Greater than fhews itfelf, at the first view,
To you that know them not. This to my mother:
[Giving a letter.

'Twill be two days ere I fhall fee you! fo
I leave you to your wifdom.

Hel. Sir, I can nothing fay,
But that I am your most obedient servant.
Ber. Come, come, no more of that.
Hel. And ever shall

With true obfervance feek to eke out that,
Wherein toward me my homely ftars have fail'd
To equal my great fortune.

Hel. I am not worthy of the wealth I owe 4; Nor dare I fay, 'tis mine; and yet it is; But, like a timorous thief, moft fain would ftcal Ber. Is there any unkindness between my lord What law does vouch mine own.

That is, a fpecious appearance of neceffity. 2 Theobald fays, that this odd allufion is n introduced without a view to fatire. It was a foolery practifed at city entertainments, while the jefter or zany was in vogue, for him to jump into a large deep custard, fet for the purpok, to fet on quantity of barren Spectators to laugh, as our poet fays in his Hamlet. 3 i. e. wonder 4 i. e. I own.

U

Ber.

Ber. What would you have?

Hel. Something; and fcarce fo much :

-no

thing, indeed.

Ber. Where are my other men, monfieur?

Farewel

Go thou toward home; where I will never come, I would not tell you what I would; my lord,- Whilft I can shake my fword, or hear the drum :

'faith, yes;

Strangers, and foes, do funder, and not kifs.
Ber. I pray you, ftay not, but in hafte to horfe.
Hel. I fhall not break your bidding, good y
lord.

[Exit Helena.

Away, and for our flight.

Par. Bravely, coragio!

[Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE I.

The Duke's Court in Florence.

Flourish. Enter the Duke of Florence, two French
Lords, with Soldiers.

O that, from point to point, now
have you heard

The fundamental reafons of this war;
Whofe great decifion hath much blood let forth
And more thirits after.

1 Lord. Holy feems the quarrel
Upon your grace's part; black and fearful
On the oppofer.

[France Duke. Therefore we marvel much, our coufin Would, in fo juft a bufinefs, fhut his bofom Againft our borrowing prayers.

2 Lord. Good my lord,

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

Duke. Be it his pleasure.

[nature

2 Lord. But I am fure, the younger of our
That furfeit on their eafe, will, day by day,
Come here for phyfick.

Duke. Welcome fhall they be ;
And all the honours, that can fly from us,

Shall on them fettle: You know your places well;
When better fall, for your avails they fell:
To-morrow to the field.

SCEN E II.

Roufilion, in France.

Enter Countefs and Clown.

[Excunt.

fing; pick his teeth, and fing: I know a man that had this trick of melancholy, fold a goodly manor for a fong.

Count. Let me fee what he writes, and when he means to come.

Clo. I have no mind to Ifbel, fince I was at court: our old ling and our Ifbeis o'the country, are nothing like your old ling and your Ifbe's o'the court: the brain of my Cupid's knock'd out; and I begin to love, as an old man loves money, with no ftomach.

Count. What have we here?
Clo. E'en that you have there.

[Exit.

Count. [reads a letter.] "I have fent you a "daughter-in-law: the hath recovered the king, "and undone me. I have wedded her, not bed"ded her; and fworn to make the not eternal. "You shall hear, Iam run away; know it, before "the report come. If there be breadth enough in the world, I will hold a long distance. My duty to you.

"Your unfortunate fon,

Clo. O madam, yonder is heavy news within, between two foldiers and my young lady.

Count. What is the matter?

Clo. Nay, there is fome comfort in the news, fome comfort; your fon will not be kill'd fo foon as I thought he would.

Count. Why should he be kill'd?

Clo. So fay I, madam, if he run away, as I hear he does the danger is in ftanding to't; that's the

Count. It hath happened all as I would have had it, lofs of men, though it be the getting of children. fave, that he comes not along with her.

Ch. By my troth, I take my young lord to be a I only hear, your fon was run away. very melancholy man.

Here they come, will tell you more: for my part,

Count. By what obfervance, I pray you?
Clo. Why, he will look upon his boot, and
Gng; mend the ruff, and fing; afk questions, and

1 i. e. I cannot inform you of fellows.

Enter Helina and tres Gentlemen.

1 Gen. Save you, geed madam.
Hel. Madam, my lord is gone, for ever gone.
2 Gen. Do not fay fo.

2 i. e. one not in the fecret of affairs.

3. Meaning, our young

Cunote