But know I think, and think I know most sure,
My art is not past power, nor you past cure.
King. Art thou so confident? Within what space
Hop'st 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;
Or four and twenty times the pilot's glass
Hath told the thievish minutes how they pass;
What is infirm from your sound parts shall fly,
Health shall live free, and sickness freely die.
King. Upon thy certainty and confidence,
What dar'st thou venture?

Hel.

Tax of impudence,

A strumpet's boldness, a divulgèd shame,—
Traduc'd by odious ballads; my maiden's name
Sear'd otherwise; nay, worse of worst extended,
With vilest torture let my life be ended.

King. Methinks in thee some blessèd spirit doth speak,
His powerful sound within an organ weak:
And what impossibility would slay

In common sense, sense saves another way.
Thy life is dear; for all, that life can rate
Worth name of life, in thee hath estimate,—
Youth, beauty, wisdom, courage, all

That happiness and prime can happy call:
Thou this to hazard, needs must intimate
Skill infinite, or monstrous desperate.
Sweet practiser, thy physic I will try,

That ministers thine own death, if I die.

Hel. If I break time, or flinch in property

Of what I spoke, unpitied let me die;

And well deserv'd: not helping, death's my fee;
But, if I help, what do you promise me?

King. Make thy demand.

Hel.

But will you make it even

King. Ay, by my sceptre, and my hopes of heaven. Hel. Then shalt thou 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,

My low and humble name to propagate

With any branch or image of thy state;
But such a one, thy vassal, whom I know
Is free for me to ask, thee to bestow.
King. Here is my hand; the premises observ'd,
Thy will by my performance shall be serv'd:
So make the choice of thy own time; for I,
Thy resolv'd patient, on thee still rely.
More should I question thee, and more I must,—
Though more to know could not be more to trust, –
From whence thou cam'st, how tended on: but rest
Unquestion'd welcome, and undoubted blest.-
[To Attendants.] Give me some help here, ho!—[To
HELENA.] If thou proceed

As high as word, my deed shall match thy deed.

[Flourish. Exeunt.

SCENE II. ROUSILLON. A Room in the COUNTESS's Mansion.

Enter COUNTESS and Clown.

Count. Come on, Sir; I shall now put you to the height of your breeding.

Clo. I will show 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 hand, 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 all questions. Clo. It is like a barber's chair, that fits all buttocks,―the pinbuttock, 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 taffeta punk, as Tib's rush for Tom's forefinger, as a pancake for Shrove-Tuesday, a morris for May-day, as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a scolding 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 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. 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 "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 "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.

Count. An end, Sir: to your business. Give Helen this,

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.

Count. Not much employment for you: you understand me?
Clo. Most fruitfully: I am there before my legs.

Count. Haste you again.

SCENE III.-PARIS.

[Exeunt severally.

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.

Laf. To be relinquished of the artists,—

Par. So I say; both of Galen and Paracelsus.

Laf. Of all the learned and authentic fellows,-
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 a—

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 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. 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.

Par. I would have said it; you say well.-Here comes the king. Enter KING, HELENA, and Attendants.

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?

Laj. 'Fore God, I think so.

King. Go, call before me all the lords in court.

Sit, my preserver, by thy patient's side:

[Exit an Attendant.

And with this healthful hand, whose banish'd sense
Thou hast repeal'd, a second time receive
The confirmation of my promis'd gift,

Which but attends thy naming.

Enter several Lords.

Fair maid, send forth thine eye: this youthful parcel

Of noble bachelors stand at my bestowing,

O'er whom both sov'reign 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!
Laf. I'd give bay curtal, and his furniture,

King.

My mouth no more were broken than these boys',
And writ as little beard,

Peruse them well:

Not one of those but had a noble father.
Hel. Gentlemen,

Heaven hath, through me, restor'd 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.-

King.

Please it your majesty, I have done already :
The blushes in my cheeks thus whisper me,

"We blush, that thou shouldst choose; but, be refus'd,
Let the white death sit on thy cheek for ever;

We'll ne'er come there again."

Make, choice; and, see,

Who shuns thy love, shuns all his love in me.

Hel. Now, Dian, from thy altar do I fly;

And to imperial Love, that god most high,
Do my sighs stream.-Sir, will you hear my suit?

1 Lord. And grant it.

Hel.

Thanks, Sir; all the rest is mute. Laf. I had rather be in this choice, than throw ames-ace for my life.

Hel. The honour, Sir, that flames in your fair eyes,

Before I speak, too threateningly replies:

Love make your fortunes twenty times above
Her that so wishes, and her humble love!

2 Lord. No better, if you please.

Hel.

My wish receive,

Which great Love grant! and so, I take my leave.

Laf. Do all they deny her? An they were sons of mine, I'd have them whipped; or I would send them to the Turk, to make eunuchs of.

Hel. [To 3 Lord.] Be not afraid that I your hand should take;

I'll never do you wrong for your own sake:

Blessing upon your vows! and in your bed
Find fairer fortune, if you ever wed!