Oft does them by the weakest minister: So holy writ in babes hath judgment shown, When judges have been babes. Great floods have flown When miracles have by the greatest been denied. Where most it promises; and oft it hits, King. I must not hear thee; fare thee well, kind maid; Thy pains, not used, must by thyself be paid: But know I think, and think I know most sure, King. Art thou so confident? Within what space Hopest thou my cure? Hel. The greatest grace lending grace, Ere twice the horses of the sun shall bring Their fiery torcher his diurnal ring; Ere twice in murk and occidental damp, Moist Hesperus hath quench'd his sleepy lamp; Hel. Tax of impudence,— A strumpet's boldness, a divulged shame,Traduced by odious ballads; my maiden's name Sear'd otherwise; no worse of worst extended, With vilest torture let my life be ended. King. Methinks in thee some blessed spirit doth speak; His powerful sound, within an organ weak: Youth, beauty, wisdom, courage, virtue, all And well deserved: Not helping, death's my fee; King. Make thy demand." Hel. But will you make it even ? King. Ay, by my sceptre, and my hopes of heaven. Hel. Then thou shalt give me, with thy kingly hand, What husband in thy power I will command: Exempted be from me the arrogance To choose from forth the royal blood of France; King. Here is my hand; the premises observed, More should I question thee, and more I must; [Flourish. Exeunt. 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 shew 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 haud, 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 ali 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-cake for ShroveTuesday, a morris for May-day, as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a scolding queen 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 such fitness for all questions? Clo. From below your duke, to beneath your constable, it will fit any question. Count. It must be an answer of most monstrous size, that must fit all demands. Clo. But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learned should speak truth of it: Here it is, and all that belongs to 't: Ask me, if I am a courtier; it shall 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 wiser by your answer. I pray you, sir, are you a courtier ? Clo. O Lord, sir. There's a simple putting off;— more, more, a hundred of them. Count. Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you. Clo. O Lord, sir,-Thick, thick, spare not me. Count. I think, sir, you can eat none of this homely meat. Clo. O Lord, sir,-Nay, put me to 't, I warrant you. Count. Do you cry, O Lord, sir, at your whipping. and spare not me! Indeed, your O Lord, sir, is very sequent to your whipping; you would answer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to 't. Clo. I ne'er had worse luck in my life, in my--0 Lord, sir: I see, things may serve long, but not serve ever. Count. I play the noble housewife with the time, to entertain it so merrily with a fool. Clo. O Lord, sir,-Why, there't serves well again. Count. An end, sir, to your business: Give Helen And urge her to a present answer back: Commend me to my kinsmen, and my son; This is not much. Clo. Not much commendation to them. [this, Count. Not much employment for you: You understand me? Clo. Most fruitfully; I am there before my legs. Count. Haste you again. [Exeunt severally. SCENE III.-Paris. A Room in the King's Palace. Enter BERTRAM, LAFEU, and PAROLLES. Laf. They say, miracles are past; and we have our philosophical persons, to make modern and familiar things, supernatural and causeless. Hence is it, that we make trifles of terrors; ensconcing ourselves into Beeming knowledge, when we should submit ourselves to an unknown fear. Par. Why, 'tis the rarest argument of wonder, that hath shot out in our latter times. Ber. And so 'tis. Laf. To be relinquished of the artists, Par. So I say; both of Galen and Paracelsus. Par. Right, so I say. Laf. That gave him out incurable, Par. Why, there 'tis; so say I too. Laf. Not to be helped, Par. Right: as 'twere a man assured of an Laf. 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 shewing, you shall read it in,--What do you call there ?Laf. A shewing 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. Par. Ay, so I say. Laf. In a most weak Par. And debile minister, great power, great transcendence: which should, indeed, give us a farther 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 Which but attends thy naming. Enter several Lords. Fair maid, send forth thine eye: this youthful parcel O'er whom both sovereign power and father's voice Thou hast power to choose, and they none to forsake, King. Peruse them well: Not one of those, but had a noble father. Hel. Gentlemen, Heaven hath, through me, restored the king to health. Please it your majesty, I have done already: We blush, that thou shouldst choose; but, be refused, Make choice; and, see, King. |