King. 'Tis only title thou difdain'st in her, the which
I can build up. Strange is it, that our bloods,
Of colour, weight, and heat, pour'd all together,
Would quite confound diftinction, yet stand off
In differences fo mighty: If she be

All that is virtuous, (fave what thou dislik’st,
A poor physician's daughter,) thou dislik'st
Of virtue for the name: but do not fo:

From lowest place when virtuous things proceed,
The place is dignify'd by the doer's deed:

Where great addition fwells, and virtue none,

It is a dropfied honour: good alone

Is good, without a name; vileness is fo:
The property by what it is should

go,

Not by the title. She is young, wife, fair;
In these to nature she's immediate heir;
And these breed honour: that is honour's fcorn,
Which challenges itself as honour's born,
And is not like the fire: Honours thrive,
When rather from our acts we them derive
Than our fore-goers; the mere word's a flave,
Debauch'd on every tomb; on every grave,
A lying trophy; and as oft is dumb,

Where duft, and damn'd oblivion, is the tomb
Of honour'd bones indeed. What fhould be faid?

If thou can't like this creature as a maid,

I can create the reft: virtue, and fhe,

Is her own dower; honour, and wealth, from me.
Ber. I cannot love her, nor will strive to do't.
King. Thou wrong'ft thyfelf, if thou should'st strive to

chufe.

2 great addition]-founding titles.

a

good alone, &c.]-independent of all outward distinction, is good, and vile is likewise vile, in whatever state it is found.-Both derive their true discrimination from nature, not from our arbitrary denomination.

Hel. That you are well reftor'd, my lord, I'm glad; Let the reft go.

King. My honour's at the ftake; which to defeat,
I must produce my power: Here, take her hand,
Proud fcornful boy, unworthy this good gift;
That doft in vile mifprifion fhackle up

My love, and her defert; that canst not dream,
We, poizing us in her defective scale,

Shall weigh thee to the beam; that wilt not know,
It is in us to plant thine honour, where

We please to have it grow: Check thy contempt:
Obey our will, which travails in thy good:
Believe not thy disdain, but presently

Do thine own fortunes that obedient right,
Which both thy duty owes, and our power claims;
Or I will throw thee from my care for ever,
Into the staggers, and the careless lapfe

Of youth and ignorance; both my revenge and hate,
Loofing upon thee in the name of justice,

Without all terms of pity: Speak; thine answer.
Ber. Pardon, my gracious lord; for I fubmit
My fancy to your eyes: When I confider,..
What great creation, and what dole of honour,
Flies where you bid it, I find, that fhe, which late
Was in my nobler thoughts most base, is now
The praised of the king; who, fo ennobled,
Is, as 'twere, born fo.

King. Take her by the hand,

And tell her, she is thine: to whom I promise

A counterpoize; if not to thy estate,

b to defeat,]-difentangle, fet free-defend. poizing us in]-throwing our favour into.

Into the fraggers, and the careless lapse]-frenzy, frantick guidance, and giddy courfe.

A balance

A balance more repleat.

Ber. I take her hand.

King. Good fortune, and the favour of the king,
Smile upon this contract: whofe ceremony
Shall feem expedient on the new-born brief,
And be perform'd to-night; the folemn feast
Shall more attend upon the coming space,
Expecting abfent friends. As thou lov'ft her,
Thy love's to me religious; elfe, does err.

[Exeunt all but Parolles and Lafeu. Laf. Do you hear, monfieur? a word with you. Par. Your pleasure, sir?

Laf. Your lord and mafter did well to make his recantation.

Par. Recantation ?-My lord? my mafter?

Laf. Ay; Is it not a language, I speak?

Par. A most harfh one; and not to be understood with

out bloody fucceeding. My mafter?

Laf. Are you companion to the count Roufillon ?

Par. To any count; to all counts; to what is man. Laf. To what is count's man; count's mafter is of another stile.

Par. You are too old, fir; let it fatisfy you, you are too old.

Laf. I must tell thee, firrah, I write man; to which title age cannot bring thee.

Par. What I dare too well do, I dare not do.

Laf. I did think thee, for two ordinaries, to be a pretty wife fellow; thou didst & make tolerable vent of thy travel;

с

whofe ceremony, &c.]-the mere ceremonial part whereof, as the prefent emergency requires, fhall be performed to night; the more fplendid celebration of the nuptials fhall wait the arrival of our abfent friends. f for two ordinaries,]-while I fat twice at table with thee.

make tolerable vent of ]-give a tolerable account of.

it might pass; yet the "fcarfs, and the bannerets, about thee, did manifoldly diffuade me from believing thee a veffel of too great a burden. I have now found thee; when I lose thee again, I care not: yet art thou good for nothing but 'taking up; and that thou art fcarce worth. Par. Hadft thou not the privilege of antiquity upon thee,

Laf. Do not plunge thyself too far in anger, left thou haften thy trial; which if-Lord have mercy on thee for a hen! So, my good window of lattice, fare thee well; thy casement I need not open, for I look through thee. Give me thy hand.

Par. My lord, you give me most egregious indignity. Laf. Ay, with all my heart; and thou art worthy of it. Par. I have not, my lord, deferv'd it.

Laf. Yes, good faith, every dram of it; and I will not bate thee a fcruple.

Par. Well I fhall be wifer.

Laf. E'en as foon as thou can'ft, for thou haft to pull at a smack o'the contrary. If ever thou be'ft bound in thy scarf, and beaten, thou fhalt find what it is to be proud of thy bondage. I have a defire to hold my acquaintance with thee, or rather my knowledge; that I may fay, in the default, he is a man I know.

k

Par. My lord, you do me most infupportable vexation. Laf. I would it were hell-pains for thy fake, and my poor doing eternal: for doing, I am paft; as I will by thee, in what motion age will give me leave. [Exit.

1

Par. Well, thou haft a fon fhall take this difgrace off me; fcurvy, old, filthy, fcurvy lord !-Well, I must be patient; there is no fettering of authority. I'll beat him,

h fcarfs, and the bannerets]—the profufion of military ornaments. i taking up ;)-contradicting, challenging.

in the default,]-of "I know be is a man.

as I will by thee, in what motion]-I will pass by thee, with what expedition.

by

by my life, if I can meet him with any convenience, an he were double and double a lord. I'll have no more pity of his age, than I would have of-I'll beat him, an if I could but meet him again.

Re-enter Lafeu.

Laf. Sirrah, your lord and master's marry'd, there's news for you; you have a new mistress.

Par. I most unfeignedly befeech your lordship to "make some reservation of your wrongs: He is my good lord : whom I serve above, is my mafter,

Laf. Who? God?

Par. Ay, fir.

Laf. The devil it is, that's thy master. Why doft thou garter up thy arms o' this fashion? doft make hofe of thy fleeves? do other fervants fo? Thou wert beft fet thy lower part where thy nofe ftands. By mine honour, if I were but two hours younger, I'd beat thee: methinks, thou art a general offence, and every man fhould beat thee. I think, thou waft created for men to breathe themselves upon thee.

Par. This is hard and undeferved measure, my lord.

Laf. Go to, fir; you were beaten in Italy for picking a kernel out of a pomegranate; you are a vagabond, and no true traveller: you are more faucy with lords, and honourable perfonages, than the heraldry of your birth and virtue gives you commiffion. You are not worth another word, else I'd call you knave. I leave you.

Enter Bertram.

Par. Good, very good; it is fo then.-Good, very good; let it be conceal'd a while.

ח

to make fome refervation of your wrongs :]-to be more fparing of your infults.

to breathe themfelves]-" When you breathe in your watering, they ery, hem! and bid you play it off."

HENRY IV, Part 1, A&t II, S. 4. P. Henry.