The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works
Page 43
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Whate’er the course, the end is the renown. Exeunt.
4.5 Enter Clown, COUNTESS and LAFEW
LAFEW No, no, no, your son was misled with a snipp’d-
taffeta fellow there, whose villainous saffron would
have made all the unbak’d and doughy youth of a
nation in his colour. Your daughter-in-law had been
alive at this hour, and your son here at home, more
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advanc’d by the king than by that red-tail’d humble-
bee I speak of.
COUNTESS I would I had not known him; it was the
death of the most virtuous gentlewoman that ever
nature had praise for creating. If she had partaken of
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my flesh and cost me the dearest groans of a mother I
could not have owed her a more rooted love.
LAFEW ’Twas a good lady; ’twas a good lady. We may pick
a thousand sallets ere we light on such another herb.
CLOWN Indeed, sir, she was the sweet-marjoram of the
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sallet, or, rather, the herb of grace.
LAFEW They are not herbs, you knave; they are nose-
herbs.
CLOWN I am no great Nabuchadnezzar, sir; I have not
much skill in grass.
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LAFEW Whether dost thou profess thyself – a knave or a
fool?
CLOWN A fool, sir, at a woman’s service, and a knave at
a man’s.
LAFEW Your distinction?
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CLOWN I would cozen the man of his wife and do his
service.
LAFEW So you were a knave at his service indeed.
CLOWN And I would give his wife my bauble, sir, to do
her service.
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LAFEW I will subscribe for thee; thou art both knave and
fool.
CLOWN At your service.
LAFEW No, no, no.
CLOWN Why, sir, if I cannot serve you I can serve as
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great a prince as you are.
LAFEW Who’s that? a Frenchman?
CLOWN Faith, sir, ’a has an English name; but his
fisnomy is more hotter in France than there.
LAFEW What prince is that?
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CLOWN The black prince, sir, alias the prince of
darkness, alias the devil.
LAFEW Hold thee, there’s my purse. I give thee not this
to suggest thee from thy master thou talk’st of; serve
him still.
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CLOWN I am a woodland fellow, sir, that always loved a
great fire, and the master I speak of ever keeps a good
fire; but sure he is the prince of the world; let his
nobility remain in’s court, I am for the house with the
narrow gate, which I take to be too little for pomp to
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enter; some that humble themselves may, but the
many will be too chill and tender, and they’ll be for the
flow’ry way that leads to the broad gate and the great
fire.
LAFEW Go thy ways; I begin to be aweary of thee; and I
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tell thee so before, because I would not fall out with
thee. Go thy ways; let my horses be well look’d to,
without any tricks.
CLOWN If I put any tricks upon ’em, sir, they shall be
jades’ tricks, which are their own right by the law of
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nature. Exit.
LAFEW A shrewd knave and an unhappy.
COUNTESS So ’a is. My lord that’s gone made himself
much sport out of him; by his authority he remains
here, which he thinks is a patent for his sauciness; and
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indeed he has no pace, but runs where he will.
LAFEW I like him well; ’tis not amiss. And I was about
to tell you, since I heard of the good lady’s death and
that my lord your son was upon his return home, I
moved the king my master to speak in the behalf of my
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daughter; which, in the minority of them both, his
majesty out of a self-gracious remembrance did first
propose. His highness hath promis’d me to do it; and
to stop up the displeasure he hath conceived against
your son there is no fitter matter. How does your
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ladyship like it?
COUNTESS With very much content, my lord, and I
wish it happily effected.
LAFEW His highness comes post from Marcellus, of as
able body as when he number’d thirty. ’A will be here
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tomorrow, or I am deceiv’d by him that in such
intelligence hath seldom fail’d.
COUNTESS It rejoices me that I hope I shall see him ere
I die. I have letters that my son will be here tonight. I
shall beseech your lordship to remain with me till they
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meet together.
LAFEW Madam, I was thinking with what manners I
might safely be admitted.
COUNTESS You need but plead your honourable
privilege.
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LAFEW Lady, of that I have made a bold charter; but, I
thank my God, it holds yet.
Re-enter Clown.
CLOWN O madam, yonder’s my lord your son with a
patch of velvet on’s face; whether there be a scar
under’t or no, the velvet knows; but ’tis a goodly patch
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of velvet. His left cheek is a cheek of two pile and a
half, but his right cheek is worn bare.
LAFEW A scar nobly got, or a noble scar, is a good liv’ry
of honour; so belike is that.
CLOWN But it is your carbonado’d face.
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LAFEW Let us go see your son, I pray you. I long to talk
with the young noble soldier.
CLOWN Faith, there’s a dozen of ’em with delicate fine
hats, and most courteous feathers which bow the head
and nod at every man. Exeunt.
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5.1 Enter HELENA, Widow and DIANA, with two attendants.
HELENA But this exceeding posting day and night
Must wear your spirits low. We cannot help it;
But since you have made the days and nights as one
To wear your gentle limbs in my affairs,
Be bold you do so grow in my requital
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As nothing can unroot you.
Enter a Gentleman, a stranger.
In happy time!
This man may help me to his majesty’s ear,
If he would spend his power. God save you, sir!
GENTLEMAN And you.
HELENA Sir, I have seen you in the court of France.
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GENTLEMAN I have been sometimes there.
HELENA I do presume, sir, that you are not fall’n
From the report that goes upon your goodness,
And therefore, goaded with most sharp occasions
Which lay nice manners by, I put you to
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The use of your own virtues, for the which
I shall continue thankful.
GENTLEMAN What’s your will?
HELENA That it will please you
To give this poor petition to the king,
And aid me with that store of power you have
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To come into his presence.
GENTLEMAN The king’s not here.
HELENA Not here, sir?
GENTLEMAN Not indeed.
He hence remov’d last night, and with more haste
Than is his use.
WIDOW Lord, how we lose our pains!
HELENA All’s well that ends well yet,
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Though time seem so adverse and means unfit.
I do beseech you, whither is he gone?
GENTLEMAN Marry, as I take it, to Rossillion;
Whither I am going.
HELENA I do beseech you, sir,
Since you are like to see the king before me,
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Commend the paper to his gracious hand,
Which I presume shall render you no blame,
But rather make you thank your pains for it.
I will come after you with what good speed
Our means will make us means.
GENTLEMAN This I’ll do for you.
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HELENA
And you shall find yourself to be well thank’d,
Whate’er falls more. We must to horse again.
Go, go, provide. Exeunt.
5.2 Enter Clown and PAROLLES.
PAROLLES Good Master Lavatch, give my Lord Lafew
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.
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CLOWN Truly, Fortune’s displeasure is but sluttish if it
smell so strongly as thou speak’st of. I will henceforth
eat no fish of Fortune’s butt’ring. Prithee, allow the
wind.
PAROLLES Nay, you need not to stop your nose, sir. I
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spake but by a metaphor.
CLOWN Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink I will stop
my nose, or against any man’s metaphor. Prithee, get
thee further.
PAROLLES Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper.
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CLOWN Foh! Prithee stand away. A paper from
Fortune’s close-stool, to give to a nobleman! Look,
here he comes himself.
Enter LAFEW.
Here is a pur of Fortune’s, sir, or of Fortune’s cat, but
not a musk-cat, that has fall’n into the unclean
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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 similes of comfort,
and leave him to your lordship. Exit.
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PAROLLES My lord, I am a man whom Fortune hath
cruelly scratch’d.
LAFEW 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,
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who of herself is a good lady and would not have
knaves thrive long under her? There’s a cardecue for
you. Let the justices make you and Fortune friends; I
am for other business.
PAROLLES I beseech your honour to hear me one single
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word.
LAFEW You beg a single penny more. Come, you shall
ha’t; save your word.
PAROLLES My name, my good lord, is Parolles.
LAFEW You beg more than ‘word’ then. Cox my
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passion! Give me your hand. How does your drum?
PAROLLES O my good lord, you were the first that found
me.
LAFEW Was I, in sooth? And I was the first that lost
thee.
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PAROLLES It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some
grace, for you did bring me out.
LAFEW 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
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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.
PAROLLES I praise God for you. Exeunt.
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5.3 Flourish. Enter KING, COUNTESS, LAFEW, the two French Lords, with attendants.
KING We lost a jewel of her, and our esteem
Was made much poorer by it; but your son,
As mad in folly, lack’d the sense to know
Her estimation home.
COUNTESS ’Tis past, my liege,
And I beseech your majesty to make it
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Natural rebellion done i’th’ blade of youth,
When oil and fire, too strong for reason’s force,
O’erbears it and burns on.
KING My honour’d lady,