Wid. Lord, how we lose our pains! Hel. All's well that ends well yet, Though time seem so adverse, and means unfit.— Hel. I do beseech you, Sir, Since you are like to see the king before me, [Exeunt. SCENE II. ROUSILLON. The inner Court of the COUNTESS'S Mansion. Enter Clown and PAROLLES.. Par. Good monsieur Lavatch, give my lord Lafeu 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. Clo. Truly, fortune's displeasure is but sluttish, if it smell so strongly as thou speakest of: I will henceforth eat no fish of fortune's buttering. Pr'ythee, allow the wind. Par. Nay, you need not to stop your nose, Sir; I spake but by a metaphor. Clo. Indeed, Sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my nose; or against any man's metaphor. Pr'ythee, get thee farther. Par. Pray you, Sir, deliver me this paper. Clo. Foh! pr'ythee, stand away; a paper from fortune's close-stool to give to a nobleman! Look, here he comes himself. Enter LAFEU. Here is a pur of fortune's, Sir, or of fortune's cat, (but not a muskcat,) that has fallen into the unclean 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 smiles of comfort, and leave him to your lordship. [Exit Par. My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly scratched. Laf. 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, who of herself is a good lady, and would not have knaves thrive long under her? There's a quart d'ecu for you: let the justices make you and fortune friends; I am for other business. Par. I beseech your honour to hear me one single word. Laf. You beg a single penny more: come, you shall ha't; save your word. Par. My name, my good lord, is Parolles. Laf. You beg more than one word, then.-Cox' my passion! give me your hand :-how does your drum? Par. O, my good lord! you were the first that found me. Par. It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring me out. Laf. 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. [Trumpet sounds.] The king's coming; I know by his trumpets.-Sirrah, enquire farther after me; I had talk of you last night though you are a fool and a knave, you shall eat ; go to, follow. Par. I praise God for you. [Exeunt. SCENE III. ROUSILLON. A Room in the COUNTESS'S Mansion. Flourish. Enter King, Countess, LAFEU, Lords, Gentlemen, Guards, &c. 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 Count. King. Laf. 'Tis past, my liege; And I beseech your majesty to make it Natural rebellion, done i' the blaze of youth; My honour'd lady, I have forgiven and forgotten all; Though my revenges were high bent upon him, And watch'd the time to shoot. This I must say, But first I beg my pardon,-the young lord The greatest wrong of all: he lost a wife, Of richest eyes; whose words all ears took captive; King. Praising what is lost Makes the remembrance dear.-Well, call him hither;— We are reconcil'd, and the first view shall kill The nature of his great offence is dead, I shall, my liege. Gent. That set him high in fame. Laf. [Exit. I have letters sent me, Enter BERTRAM. He looks well on 't. King. I am not a day of season, For thou mayst see a sunshine and a hail In me at once but to the brightest beams Distracted clouds give way; so stand thou forth, Ber. My high repented blames, Dear sovereign, pardon to me. All is whole; King. The daughter of this lord? You remember Ber. Admiringly, my liege: at first I stuck my choice upon her, ere my heart That she whom all men prais'd, and whom myself, The dust that did offend it. That thou didst love her, strikes some scores away To the great sender turns a sour offence, Crying, That's good that's gone. Our rash faults Count. Which better than the first, O dear heaven, bless! Or, ere they meet, in me, O nature, cesse ! Laf. 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.-[BER. gives LAF, 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 leave at court, I saw upon her finger. 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 Ber. My gracious sovereign, Howe'er it pleases you to take it so, The ring was never hers. Count. Son, on my life, I have seen her wear it; and she reckon'd it At her life's rate. Laf. I am sure I saw her wear it. Ber. You are deceiv'd, my lord; she never saw it: That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine, Than I have in this ring: 'twas mine, 'twas Helen's, Confess 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcement (Where you have never come,) or sent it us Upon her great disaster. King. Thou speak'st it falsely, as I love mine honour; [Guards seize BERTRAM. My fore-past proofs, howe'er the matter fall, Having vainly fear'd too little.-Away with him!— Ber. This ring was ever hers, you shall as easy If you shall prove [Exit guarded. Gracious sovereign, King. I am wrapp'd in dismal thinkings. Gent. Enter the gentle Astringer. |