my sins, which I greatly repent.
KING
All is whole;
Not one word more of the consumed time.
Let's take the instant by the forward top;
For we are old, and on our quick'st decrees
The inaudible and noiseless foot of Time
Steals ere we can effect them. You remember
The daughter of this lord?
The matter is finished;
we will not waste another moment on it.
Let's seize the moment with both hands;
I am old, and my most urgent orders
can be snatched away by the silent
passage of time before be can be enacted. You remember
the daughter of this lord?
BERTRAM
Admiringly, my liege, at first
I stuck my choice upon her, ere my heart
Durst make too bold a herald of my tongue
Where the impression of mine eye infixing,
Contempt his scornful perspective did lend me,
Which warp'd the line of every other favour;
Scorn'd a fair colour, or express'd it stolen;
Extended or contracted all proportions
To a most hideous object: thence it came
That she whom all men praised and whom myself,
Since I have lost, have loved, was in mine eye
The dust that did offend it.
With admiration, my lord, she was
my first choice, before my heart
made my tongue speak out too rashly
and I began to be full
of contempt which spread to everything;
it rejected a fair appearance, or thought it was faked;
it warped everything and made it look hideous:
and so it happened with she whom all men praised;
since I have lost her I have loved her -
previously my sight was affected by the dust of my stupidity.
KING
Well excused:
That thou didst love her, strikes some scores away
From the great compt: but love that comes too late,
Like a remorseful pardon slowly carried,
To the great sender turns a sour offence,
Crying, 'That's good that's gone.' Our rash faults
Make trivial price of serious things we have,
Not knowing them until we know their grave:
Oft our displeasures, to ourselves unjust,
Destroy our friends and after weep their dust;
Our own love waking cries to see what's done,
While shame full late sleeps out the afternoon.
Be this sweet Helen's knell, and now forget her.
Send forth your amorous token for fair Maudlin:
The main consents are had; and here we'll stay
To see our widower's second marriage-day.
This is well explained:
the fact that you loved her removes some black marks
against your name: but love that comes too late,
like a remorseful apology delivered slowly,
causes great offence to the Almighty,
who cries, ‘That is good that has been wasted.’ Our stupidity
makes us undervalue the best things we have,
and we don't know their value until they are in their graves:
we often let our unfair temper
ruin our friendships and then we weep when they're dead;
we let love sleep while hate does its work, when she wakes she cries to see what's happened,
while to our shame hatred can sleep soundly.
Let this be the funeral bell for sweet Helen, and now forget her.
Send out your love token to fair Maudlin:
all the main characters have given consent; and will stay here
to see our widower's second wedding day.
COUNTESS
Which better than the first, O dear heaven, bless!
Or, ere they meet, in me, O nature, cesse!
Which please, dear heaven, made better than the first!
Or before they meet let me die!
LAFEU
Come on, my son, in whom my house's name
Must be digested, give a favour from you
To sparkle in the spirits of my daughter,
That she may quickly come.
BERTRAM gives a ring
By my old beard,
And every hair that's on't, Helen, that's dead,
Was a sweet creature: such a ring as this,
The last that e'er I took her at court,
I saw upon her finger.
Come on, my son, who is going to swallow up
my family name, give me a token
that will make my daughter's heart leap,
so that she will come quickly.
I swear by my old beard
and every hair in it, Helen, that sweet creature
who's dead, last time I ever saw her court
she had a ring like this on her finger.
BERTRAM
Hers it was not.
It was not hers.
KING
Now, pray you, let me see it; for mine eye,
While I was speaking, oft was fasten'd to't.
This ring was mine; and, when I gave it Helen,
I bade her, if her fortunes ever stood
Necessitied to help, that by this token
I would relieve her. Had you that craft, to reave
her
Of what should stead her most?
Now, please let me see it; while I was speaking
my eye was often drawn to it.
This ring belonged to me; and, when I gave it to Helen,
I told her, that if she ever
needed help, she should send me this as a signal
and I would assist her. Were you so cunning
that you could rob her
of the thing which could help her most?
BERTRAM
My gracious sovereign,
Howe'er it pleases you to take it so,
The ring was never hers.
My gracious king,
whatever you believe,
the ring never belonged to her.
COUNTESS
Son, on my life,
I have seen her wear it; and she reckon'd it
At her life's rate.
Son, I swear on my life,
that I have seen her wearing it; and she
valued it as high is life itself.
LAFEU
I am sure I saw her wear it.
I am sure I saw her wearing it.
BERTRAM
You are deceived, my lord; she never saw it:
In Florence was it from a casement thrown me,
Wrapp'd in a paper, which contain'd the name
Of her that threw it: noble she was, and thought
I stood engaged: but when I had subscribed
To mine own fortune and inform'd her fully
I could not answer in that course of honour
As she had made the overture, she ceased
In heavy satisfaction and would never
Receive the ring again.
You are mistaken, my lord; she never saw it:
it was thrown down from a top window in Florence to me,
wrapped in a piece of paper, on which was written the name
of the one who threw it: she was noble, and thought
I was engaged to her: but when I told her
what my position was and let her know
that I could not honourably return her affections
she sadly accepted what I said and would never
take the ring back.
KING
Plutus himself,
That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine,
Hath not in nature's mystery more science
Than I have in this ring: 'twas mine, 'twas Helen's,
Whoever gave it you. Then, if you know
&nbs
p; That you are well acquainted with yourself,
Confess 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcement
You got it from her: she call'd the saints to surety
That she would never put it from her finger,
Unless she gave it to yourself in bed,
Where you have never come, or sent it us
Upon her great disaster.
The god of riches himself,
who knows how to turn base metal into gold
does not have a greater knowledge of nature's mysteries
than I have of this ring: it was mine, it was Helen's,
whoever gave it to you. So, if you know
what is good for you, youshould
admit that it was hers, and confess to whatever rough act
you committed to get it from her: she swore by the saints
that she would never take it off her finger
unless she gave it to you in bed,
which never happened, or sent it to me
when she was in great trouble.
BERTRAM
She never saw it.
She never saw it.
KING
Thou speak'st it falsely, as I love mine honour;
And makest conjectural fears to come into me
Which I would fain shut out. If it should prove
That thou art so inhuman,--'twill not prove so;--
And yet I know not: thou didst hate her deadly,
And she is dead; which nothing, but to close
Her eyes myself, could win me to believe,
More than to see this ring. Take him away.
Guards seize BERTRAM
My fore-past proofs, howe'er the matter fall,
Shall tax my fears of little vanity,
Having vainly fear'd too little. Away with him!
We'll sift this matter further.
You are lying, I swear by my honour;
you make me think of terrible things
which I would rather shut out. Ifit should turn out
that you are so inhuman–I hope it won't–
and yet, I don't know: you had a terrible hate for her,
and she is dead; and there is nothing apart from
having been there myself to see it which makes me believe that
more than seeing this ring. Take him away.
Whatever happens this shows that my previous suspicions
were not the product of imagination,
in fact I was not imaginative enough. Take him away!
We'll investigate this further.
BERTRAM
If you shall prove
This ring was ever hers, you shall as easy
Prove that I husbanded her bed in Florence,
Where yet she never was.
Exit, guarded
If you can prove
this ring ever belonged to her, you can just as easily
prove that I slept with her in Florence,
where she never went.
KING
I am wrapp'd in dismal thinkings.
I am consumed with terrible thoughts.
Enter a Gentleman
Gentleman
Gracious sovereign,
Whether I have been to blame or no, I know not:
Here's a petition from a Florentine,
Who hath for four or five removes come short
To tender it herself. I undertook it,
Vanquish'd thereto by the fair grace and speech
Of the poor suppliant, who by this I know
Is here attending: her business looks in her
With an importing visage; and she told me,
In a sweet verbal brief, it did concern
Your highness with herself.
Gracious king,
whether I have been at fault I do not know:
here's a petition from a Florentine,
who missed her chances at four or five
of your nightly stops to give it to you herself.
I promised to do it, persuaded to by the sweet looks and speech
of the poor petitioner, whom I know
is on her way here: she looks as though
her business is important; and she told me,
in a sweet summary, that it was to do
with you and her.
KING
[Reads] Upon his many protestations to marry me
when his wife was dead, I blush to say it, he won
me. Now is the Count Rousillon a widower: his vows
are forfeited to me, and my honour's paid to him. He
stole from Florence, taking no leave, and I follow
him to his country for justice: grant it me, O
king! in you it best lies; otherwise a seducer
flourishes, and a poor maid is undone.
DIANA CAPILET.
I'm ashamed to say that I was won over
by his many promises to marry me when his wife was dead.
Now Count Rousillon is a widower: he has taken my honour
and he owes me his promise. He sneaked away
from Florence without saying goodbye and I have followed him
to his own country for justice: please grant it to me, O king!
You have the power; otherwise a seducer flourishes,
and a poor girl is ruined.
Diana Capilet
LAFEU
I will buy me a son-in-law in a fair, and toll for
this: I'll none of him.
I'll buy myself a son-in-law at a fair, and pay the tax
on him; I won't have anything to do with Bertram.
KING
The heavens have thought well on thee Lafeu,
To bring forth this discovery. Seek these suitors:
Go speedily and bring again the count.
I am afeard the life of Helen, lady,
Was foully snatch'd.
God has smiled on you Lafeu,
bringing this to the surface. Get these petitioners:
hurry and bring the count back.
I'm afraid, lady, that Helen
was foully murdered.
COUNTESS
Now, justice on the doers!
Re-enter BERTRAM, guarded
Now bring the murderers to justice!
KING
I wonder, sir, sith wives are monsters to you,
And that you fly them as you swear them lordship,
Yet you desire to marry.
Enter Widow and DIANA
What woman's that?
I wonder, sir, why you want to marry, seeing as
wives are like monsters to you,
and you run away as soon as you are engaged.
Who's that woman?
DIANA
I am, my lord, a wretched Florentine,
Derived from the ancient Capilet:
My suit, as I do understand, you know,
And therefore know how far I may be pitied.
I am, my lord, a wretched Florentine,
descended from the ancient Capilet family:
I understand that you know what I'm asking for,
and so you know how much I should be pitied.
Widow
I am her mother, sir, whose age and honour
Both suffer under this complaint we bring,
And both shall cease, without your remedy.
I am her mother, sir, whose old age and honour
are both suffering due to this issue,
and I will lose both without your help.
KING
Come hither, count; do you know these women?
Come here, count; do you know these women?
BERTRAM
My lord, I neither can nor will deny
But that I know them: do they charge me further?
My lord, I cannot and will not deny
knowing them: do they accuse me of anything else?
DIANA
Why do you look so strange upon your wife?
Why do you look so oddly at your w
ife?
BERTRAM
She's none of mine, my lord.
She is no wife of mine, my lord.
DIANA
If you shall marry,
You give away this hand, and that is mine;
You give away heaven's vows, and those are mine;
You give away myself, which is known mine;
For I by vow am so embodied yours,
That she which marries you must marry me,
Either both or none.
If you marry,
you reject this hand, and that is mine;
you break heaven's vows, and those are mine;
you reject me, who we know is mine;
for I am by my vows so intertwined with you
that she who marries you must marry me,
either both or none.
LAFEU
Your reputation comes too short for my daughter; you
are no husband for her.
Your reputation is too low for my daughter; you
shall not marry her.
BERTRAM
My lord, this is a fond and desperate creature,
Whom sometime I have laugh'd with: let your highness
Lay a more noble thought upon mine honour
Than for to think that I would sink it here.
My lord, this is an affectionate and mad creature,
with whom I have sometimes shared a joke: let your Highness
think better of my honor than that I would
give it up for her.
KING
Sir, for my thoughts, you have them ill to friend
Till your deeds gain them: fairer prove your honour
Than in my thought it lies.
Sir, as my for thoughts for they will not be friendly toyou
until you give me some reason: show that your honor
is better than I am imagining.
DIANA
Good my lord,
Ask him upon his oath, if he does think
He had not my virginity.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 214