Hel. You are my mother, madam; 'Would you Religious in mine error, I adore The fun, that looks upon his worshipper, Hel. Madam, I had. Count. Wherefore? tell true. Hel. I will tell truth; by grace itfelf, I fwear. Your falt tears' head 2. Now to all fenfe 'tis grofs, In hoedfulleft refervation to bestow them, To fay, thou doft not: therefore tell me true; Hel. Good madam, pardon me! Hel. Your pardon, noble mistress! As notes, whofe faculties inclufive were Count. This was your motive Hel. My lord your fon made me to think of this; Hel. Do not you love him, madam ? Hel. Then, I confess, Here on my knee, before high heaven and you, I love your fon : Count. But think you, Helen, If you should tender your fuppofed aid, Hel. There's fomething hints, More than my father's fkill, which was the greatest [honour By the luckieft ftars in heaven: and, would your My friends were poor, but honeft; fo's my love: By fuch a day, and hour. Be not offended; for it hurts not him, Nor would I have him, 'till I do deserve him; [and love, Count. Doft thou believe 't? 1 I care no more for, is, I care as much for-I wish it equally. [Exeunt. 2 i. e, the fource of your grief. 3 Dr. Johnfon fufpects we fhould read carious, i. e. rotten. 4 Meaning, preferiptions in which greater vintues were incafed than appeared to obfervation, 5 i. e, exhaufted of their skill. ACT ACT SCENE I. The Court of France. IL captain Spurio, with his cicatrice, an emblem of war, here on his finifter cheek; it was this very fword entrench'd it: fay to him, I live; and ob Enter the King, with young Lords taking leave for the ferve his reports for me. Florentine War. Bertram and Parolles. 2 Lord. We fhall, noble captain. Par. Mars doat on you for his novices! what AREWEL, young lords, these warlike will you do? Do not throw from you:-and you, my lords, farewel: Share the advice betwixt you; if both gain all, 2 Lord. 'Tis our hope, fir, After well-enter'd foldiers, to return I King. No, no, it cannot be; and yet my heart Will not confefs, he owes the malady That does my life befiege. Farewel, young lords; Whether I live or die, be you the fons Of worthy Frenchmen: let higher Italy (Thofe 'bated, that inherit but the fall Of the last monarchy) fee, that you come Not to woo honour, but to wed it; when The bravest questant fhrinks, find what you feek, That fame may cry you loud: I fay, farewel. 2 Lord. Health, at your bidding, ferve your majefty! King. Thofe girls of Italy, take heed of them; Both. Our hearts receive your warnings. Par. 'Tis not his fault; the fpark— Par. Most admirable: I have feen those wars. Ber. I am commanded here, and kept a coil Too young, and the next year, and 'tis too early. [with; Par. An thy mind stand to it, boy, fteal away bravely. Ber. I fhall ftay here the forehorse to a smock, Creaking my fhoes on the plain masonry, 'Till honour be bought up, and no fword worn, But one to dance with! By heaven, I'll fteal away. I Lord. There's honour in the theft. Par. Commit it, count. 2 Lord. I am your acceffary; and so farewel. Ber. Stay; the king-- Par. Ufe a more fpacious ceremony to the noble lords; you have restrain'd yourself within the lift of too cold an adieu: be more expreffive to them; for they wear themselves in the cap of the time, there do mufter true gait, eat, fpeak, and move under the influence of the most receiv'd star; and though the devil lead the measure, fuch are to be follow'd: after them, and take a more dilated farewel. Laf. Why, doctor the: My lord, there's one arriv'd, If you will fee her-now, by my faith and honour, In this my light deliverance, I have spoke Ber. 1 grow to you, and our parting is a tor-Than I dare blame my weaknefs: Will you fee her, tur'd body. 1 Lord. Farewel, captain. 2 Lord. Sweet monfieur Parolles ! Par. Noble heroes, my fword and yours are kin. Good fparks and lustrous, a word, good metals :You fhall find in the regiment of the Spinii, one (For that is her demand) and know her business? That done, laugh well at me. King. Now, good Lafeu, Bring in the admiration; that we with thee May spend our wonder too, or take off thine, By wond'ring how thou took'it it. I The epithet higher is here to be understood as referring to fituation rather than to dignity. 2 This word, as has been before obferved, is ufed when any pafs of wit mifcarries. Laf. Laf. Nay, I'll fit you, . And not be all day neither. [Exit Lafeu. King. Thus he his fpecial nothing ever prologues. Laf. [returns.] Nay, come your ways. [Bringing in Helena. King. This hafte hath wings indeed. Laf. Nay, come your ways; This is his majesty, fay your mind to him: A traitor you do look like; but fuch traitors His majefty feldom fears: I am Creflid's uncle, That dare leave two together; fare you well. [Exit. King. Now, fair one, does your business follow us? Hel. Ay, my good lord. Gerard de Narbon was My father; in what he did profefs, well found. King. I knew him. [him; Hel. The rather will I fpare my praifes toward Safer than mine own two, more dear! I have fo : King. We thank you, maiden; Our great felf and our credit, to esteem A fenfelefs help, when help paft sense we deem. King. I cannot give thee lefs, to be call'd grateful: Thou thought it to help me: and fuch thanks I give, As one near death to thofe that with him live: But, what at full I know, thou know'ft no part; I knowing all my peril, thou no art. Hel. What I can do, can do no hurt to try, Since you fet up your reft 'gainst remedy : He that of greatest works is finisher, Oft does them by the weakest minifter: So holy writ in babes hath judgment shown, When judges have been babes. Great floods have flown From fimple fources; and great feas have dry'd, King. I must not hear thee; fare thee well, kind Thy pains, not us'd, must by thyself be paid : Proffers, not took, reap thanks for their reward. Hel. Infpired merit fo by breath is barr'd: It is not fo with Him that all things knows, As 'tis with us that square our guefs by shows: But most it is prefumption in us, when The help of heaven we count the act of men. Dear fir, to my endeavours give confent; Of heaven, not me, make an experiment. I am not an impoftor, that proclaim Myfelf against the level of mine aim 1; But know I think, and think I know most fure, My art is not past power, nor you past cure. King. Art thou fo confident? Within what space Hop'st thou my cure? Hel. The greatest grace lending grace, King. Upon thy certainty and confidence, Hel. Tax of impudence, A ftrumpet's boldness, a divulged shame, King. Methinks, in thee fome bleffed fpirit His powerful found, within an organ weak 3: In common fenfe, fenfe faves another way. Hel. If I break time, or flinch in property That is, "I am not an impoftor that proclaim one thing and defign another." 2 Mr. Steevens thus happily explains this obfcure paffage: "I would bear (fays fhe) the tax of impudence, which is the denotement of a ftrumpet; would endure a fhame refulting from my failure in what I have undertaken, and thence become the fubject of odious ballads; let my maiden reputation be otherwife branded; and, no worle of wort extended, i. e. provided nothing worfe is offered to me, (meaning violation) let my life be ended with the worlt of tortures. The poet for the lake of rhime has obfcured the fente of the paffage. The worst that can befal a woman being extended to me, feems to be the meaning of the last line." 3 The author of the Revifal of Shakspeare's Text explains The verb doth Speak, in the first line, fhould be underflood to be repeated in the conftruction of the fecond, thus; His powerful found (peaks within a weak organ." • i. e. youth. this line thus: King. Make thy demand. Hel. But will you make it even ? Count. It must be an answer of moft monftrous [ven! fize, that muft fit all demands. King. Ay, by my fceptre, and my hopes of hea- What hufband in thy power I will command: To chufe from forth the royal blood of France; King. Here is my hand; the premises obferv'd, Caqueftion'd welcome, and undoubted blest.- Clo. But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learned fhould fpeak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to 't: Afk me, if I am a courtier; it fhall do you no harm to learn. Count. To be young again, if we could :-I will be a fool in question, hoping to be the wifer by your anfwer. I pray you, fir, are you a courtier ? Clo. 2 O Lord, fir,- -There's a fimple putting off-more, more, a hundred of them. Count. Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you. Clo. O Lord, fir,- -Thick, thick, fpare not me. Count. think, fir, you can eat none of this homely meat. Clo. O Lord, fir,-Nay, put me to't, I warrant you. Clo. I ne'er had worfe luck in my life, in my Count. Come on, fir; I fhall now put you to the ferve ever. height of your breeding. Ch. I will thew myfelf highly fed, and lowly taught: I know my business is but to the court. Grant. But to the court why, what place make again. 1 you fpecial, when you put off that with fuch contempt? But to the court! Clo. Truly, madam, if God have lent a man any manners, he may eafily put it off at court: he that cannot make a leg, put off's cap, kits his hand, and fay nothing, has neither leg, hands, lip, nor cap; and, indeed, fuch a fellow, to fay precifely, were not for the court: but, for me, I have an anfwer will ferve all men. Count. Marry, that's a bountiful anfwer, 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 anfwer ferve fit to all queftions? Cle. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney, as your French crown for your taffaty punk, as Tib's rufh for Tom's fore-finger 1, as a pancake for Shrove-tuesday, a morris for May-day, as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as fcolding quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the friar's mouth; nay, as the pudding to his skin. Count. Have you, I say, an answer of fuch fitnefs for all questions ? Clo. From below your duke, to beneath your conftable, it will fit any question. Count. I play the noble houfewife with the Clo. Not much commendation to them. Clo. Moft fruitfully; I am there before my legs. [Exeunt. Enter Bertram, Lafeu, and Parolles. 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 feeming knowledge, when we should fubmit ourfelves to an unknown fear 3. Par. Why, 'tis the rareft arguiment of wonder, that hath thot out in our later times. Ber. And fo 'tis. Laf. To be relinquifh'd of the artists,- This alludes to an ancient cuftom of marrying with a rush ring, as well in other countries as in England; but was fcarce ever practifed except by defigning men, for the purpofe of corrupting thofe young women to whom they pretended love. 2 A ridicule on that foolish expletive of fpeech, then in vogue at court. 3 Fear here means the object of fear. Par. 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,———— We blush, that theu fhould' ft chufe, but be refus'd; Let the white death fit on thy cheek for over, We'll ne'er come there again. King. Make choice; and, fee, Par. Right; as 'twere, a man affur'd of an-Who fhuns thy love, fhuns all his love in me. 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 thewing, you shall 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. Laf. Why, your dolphin is not luftier: 'fore me I fpeak in respect Par. Nay, 'tis ftrange, 'tis very ftrange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he is of a most facinorous fpirit, that will not acknowledge be the 2 Laf. Very hand of heaven. Par. Ay, fo I fay. Laf. In a moft weak to Par. And debile minister, great power, great tranfcendence: which fhould, indeed, give us a farther use to be made, than alone the recovery of the king; as to be Luf. 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 fays: I'll like a maid the better, while 1 have a tooth in my head: Why, he's able to lead her a corranto. Par. Mort du Vinaigre! Is not this Helen? King. Go, call before me all the lords in court.-Sit, my preferver, by thy patient's fide; 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 fait ? I Lord. And grant it. Hel. Thanks, fir; all the rest 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 wifhes, and her humble love! 2 Lord. No better, if you please. Hel. My with 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 fhould take ; I'll never do you wrong for your own fake: Bleifing upon your vows! and in your bed Find fairer fortune, if you ever tved! Laf. Thefe 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, 1 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 already. Hel. I dare not fay, 1 take you; but I give And with this healthful hand, whofe banish'd fenfe Me, and my fervice, ever whilft I live, Thou haft repeald, 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 King. Perufe them well: Not one of thofe but had a noble father. Hel. Gentlemen, Heaven hath, through me, reftor'd the king to health. 1 By dolphin is meant the dauphin. 2 i. c. wicked. 3 i. e. lufty, chearful, pleasant. 4. A bay Meaning, perhaps, the chlorofis. dock'd horfe. 5 Meaning, had loft no more of its teeth. 7 i.e. filence. 8 i. e. the lowest chance of the dice. All |