Count. You were lately whipped, sir, as I think. Clo. O Lord, sir.—Spare not me. Count. Do you cry, O Lord, sir, at your whipping, and spare not me? Indeed, your 0 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 O 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. this, Clo. Not much commendation to them. 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 seeming 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. 1 Common, ordinary. VOL. II. 2 Fear means here an object of fear Par. So I say ; both of Galen and Paracelsus. 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. 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 2 Laf. Generally thankful. Enter King, HELENA, and Attendants. Par. I would have said it; you say well. Here comes the king. 1 The dauphin was formerly so written, but it is doubtful whether Lafeu means to allude to the prince or the fish. The old orthography is therefore continued. 2 Dr. Johnson thought this and some preceding speeches in the scene were erroneously given to Parolles instead of to Lafeu. This seems very probable, for the humor of the scene consists in Parolles's pretensions to knowledge and sentiments which he has not. 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? [Exit an Attendant. Enter several Lords. Fair maid, send forth thine eye. This youthful parcel Of noble bachelors stand at my bestowing, O’er whom both sovereign power and father's voice ? I have to use. Thy frank election make; 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 ! 3 Laf. I'd give bay Curtal, 4 and his furniture, Peruse them well : Hel. Gentlemen, Heaven hath, through me, restored the king to health. All. We understand it, and thank Heaven for you. Hel. I am a simple maid ; and therein wealthiest, That, I protest, I simply am a maid.— Please it your majesty, I have done already. The blushes in my cheeks thus whisper me, We blush, that thou shouldst choose ; but, be refused, 1 Lustigh is the Dutch for active, pleasant, playful, sportive. 4 A curtal was the common phrase for a horse ; i. e. “ I'd give my bay horse, &c. that my age were not greater than these boys':” a broken mouth is a mouth which has lost part of its teeth. Hel. Let the white death sit on thy cheek forever; Make choice; and, see, Who shuns thy love, shuns all his love in me. Hel. Now, Dian, from thy altar do I fly; Thanks, sir; all the rest is mute. Laf. I had rather be in this choice, than throw ames-ace ? for my life. Hel. The honor, sir, that flames in your fair eyes, 2 Lord. No better, if you please. My wish receive, Which great love grant! and so I take my leave. Laf. Do all they deny her? 3 An they were sons of mine, I'd have them whipped; or I would send them to the Turk, to make eunuchs of. Hel. Be not afraid [To a lord.] that I your hand should take; 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 i Be refused means the same as “thou being refused,” or “be thou refused.” The white death is the paleness of death. 2 The lowest chance of the dice. 3 The scene must be so regulated that Lafeu and Parolles talk at a distance, where they may see what passes between Helena and the lords, but not hear it; so that they know not by whom the refusal is made. Hel. I dare not say, I take you; [To Bertram.]. but I give Me, and my service, ever whilst I live, Into your guiding power.—This is the man. King. Why then, young Bertram, take her; she's thy wife. highness, Know'st thou not, Bertram, Yes, my good lord ; But never hope to know why I should marry her. King. Thou know'st she has raised me from my sickly bed. which 1 i. e. the want of title. 2 Titles. 3 Good is good, independent of any worldly distinction; and so vileness would be ever vile, did not rank, power, and fortune, screen it from opprobrium. |