Enter Hellen, Widdow, and Diana, with two Attendants.
Hel.But this exceeding posting day and night,Must wear your spirits low, we cannot helpe it:But since you haue made the daies and nights as one,To weare your gentle limbes in my affayres,Be bold you do so grow in my requitall,As nothing can vnroote you. In happie time,Enter a gentle Astringer.This man may helpe me to his Maiesties eare,If he would spend his power. God saue you sir.
Gent.And you.
Hel.Sir, I haue seene you in the Court of France.
Gent.I haue beene sometimes there.
Hel.I do presume sir, that you are not falneFrom the report that goes vpon your goodnesse,And therefore goaded with most sharpe occasions,Which lay nice manners by, I put you toThe vse of your owne vertues, for the whichI shall continue thankefull.
Gent.What's your will?
Hel.That it will please youTo giue this poore petition to the King,And ayde me with that store of power you haueTo come into his presence.
Gen.The Kings not heere.
Hel.Not heere sir?
Gen.Not indeed,He hence remou'd last night, and with more hastThen is his vse.
Wid.Lord how we loose our paines.
Hel.All's well that ends well yet,Though time seeme so aduerse, and meanes vnfit:I do beseech you, whither is he gone?
Gent.Marrie as I take it to Rossillion,Whither I am going.
Hel.I do beseech you sir,Since you are like to see the King before me,Commend the paper to his gracious hand,Which I presume shall render you no blame,But rather make you thanke your paines for it,I will come after you with what good speedeOur meanes will make vs meanes.
Gent.This Ile do for you.
Hel.And you shall finde your selfe to be well thanktwhat e're falles more. We must to horse againe, Go, go,prouide.
Enter Clowne and Parrolles.
Par.Good MrLauatch giue my Lord Lafew this letter, I haue ere now sir beene better knowne to you, whenI haue held familiaritie with fresher cloathes: but I amnow sir muddied in fortunes mood, and smell somewhatstrong of her strong displeasure.
Clo.Truely, Fortunes displeasure is but sluttish if itsmell so strongly as thou speak'st of: I will hencefoortheate no Fish of Fortunes butt'ring. Prethee alow the winde.
Par.Nay you neede not to stop your nose sir: I spake but by a Metaphor.
Clo.Indeed sir, if your Metaphor stinke, I will stop my nose, or against any mans Metaphor. Prethe get thee further.
Par.Pray you sir deliuer me this paper.
Clo.Foh, prethee stand away: a paper from fortunesclose-stoole, to giue to a Nobleman. Looke heere he comes himselfe.
Enter Lafew.
Clo.Heere is a purre of Fortunes sir, or of FortunesCat, but not a Muscat, that ha's falne into the vncleanefish-pond of her displeasure, and as he sayes is muddiedwithall. Pray you sir, vse the Carpe as you may, for helookes like a poore decayed, ingenious, foolish, rascallyknaue. I doe pittie his distresse in my smiles of comfort,and leaue him to your Lordship.
Par.My Lord I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly scratch'd.
Laf.And what would you haue me to doe? 'Tis toolate to paire her nailes now. Wherein haue you playedthe knaue with fortune that she should scratch you, whoof her selfe is a good Lady, and would not haue knauesthriue long vnder? There's a Cardecue for you: Let theIustices make you and fortune friends; I am for otherbusinesse.
Par.I beseech your honour to heare mee one single word.
Laf.you begge a single peny more: Come you shallha't, saue your word.
Par.My name my good Lord is Parrolles.
Laf.You begge more then word then. Cox my passion, giue me your hand: How does your drumme?
Par.O my good Lord, you were the first that found mee.
Laf.Was I insooth? And I was the first that lost thee.
Par.It lies in you my Lord to bring me in some gracefor you did bring me out.
Laf.Out vpon thee knaue, doest thou put vpon meeat once both the office of God and the diuel: one bringsthee in grace, and the other brings thee out. The Kingscomming I know by his Trumpets. Sirrah, inquire further after me, I had talke of you last night, though youare a foole and a knaue, you shall eate, go too, follow.
Par.I praise God for you.
Flourish.Enter King, old Lady, Lafew, the two FrenchLords, with attendants.
Kin.We lost a Iewell of her, and our esteemeWas made much poorer by it: but your sonne,As mad in folly, lack'd the sence to knowHer estimation home.
Old La.'Tis past my Liege,And I beseech your Maiestie to make itNaturall rebellion, done i'th blade of youth,When oyle and fire, too strong for reasons force,Ore-beares it, and burnes on.
Kin.My honour'd Lady,I haue forgiuen and forgotten all,Though my reuenges were high bent vpon him,And watch'd the time to shoote.
Laf.This I must say,But first I begge my pardon: the yong LordDid to his Maiesty, his Mother, and his Ladie,Offence of mighty note; but to himselfeThe greatest wrong of all. He lost a wife,Whose beauty did astonish the surueyOf richest eies: whose words all eares tooke captiue,Whose deere perfection, hearts that scorn'd to serue,Humbly call'd Mistris.
Kin.Praising what is lost,Makes the remembrance deere. Well, call him hither,We are reconcil'd, and the first view shall killAll repetition: Let him not aske our pardon,The nature of his great offence is dead,And deeper then obliuion, we do burieTh' incensing reliques of it. Let him approachA stranger, no offender; and informe himSo 'tis our will he should.
Gent.I shall my Liege.
Kin.What sayes he to your daughter,Haue you spoke?
Laf.All that he is, hath reference to your Highnes.
Kin.Then shall we haue a match. I haue letters sentme, that sets him high in fame.
Enter Count Bertram.
Laf.He lookes well on't.
Kin.I am not a day of season,For thou maist see a sun-shine, and a haileIn me at once: But to the brightest beamesDistracted clouds giue way, so stand thou forth,The time is faire againe.
Ber.My high repented blamesDeere Soueraigne pardon to me.
Kin.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 decreesTh' inaudible, and noiselesse foot of timeSteales, ere we can effect them. You rememberThe daughter of this Lord?
Ber.Admiringly my Liege, at firstI stucke my choice vpon her, ere my heartDurst make too bold a herauld of my tongue:Where the impression of mine eye enfixing,Contempt his scornfull Perspectiue did lend me,Which warpt the line, of euerie other fauour,Scorn'd a faire colour, or exprest it stolne,Extended or contracted all proportionsTo a most hideous obiect. Thence it came,That she whom all men prais'd, and whom my selfe,Since I haue lost, haue lou'd; was in mine eyeThe dust that did offend it.
Kin.Well excus'd:That thou didst loue her, strikes some scores awayFrom the great compt: but loue that comes too late,Like a remorsefull pardon slowly carriedTo the great sender, turnes a sowre offence,Crying, that's good that's gone: Our rash faults,Make triuiall price of serious things we haue,Not knowing them, vntill we know their graue.Oft our displeasures to our selues vniust,Destroy our friends, and after weepe their dust:Our owne loue waking, cries to see what's done,While shamefull hate sleepes out the afternoone.Be this sweet Helens knell, and now forget her.Send forth your amorous token for faire Maudlin,The maine consents are had, and heere wee'l stayTo see our widdowers second marriage day:Which better then the first, O deere heauen blesse,Or, ere they meete in me, O Nature cesse.
Laf.Come on my sonne, in whom my houses nameMust be digested: giue a fauour from youTo sparkle in the spirits of my daughter,That she may quickly come. By my old beard,And eu'rie haire that's on't, Helen that's deadWas a sweet creature: such a ring as this,The last that ere I tooke her leaue at Court,I saw vpon her finger.
Ber.Hers it was not.
King.Now pray you let me see it. For mine eye,While I was speaking, oft was fasten'd too't:This Ring was mine, and when I gaue it Hellen,I bad her if her fortunes euer stoodeNecessitied to helpe, that by this tokenI would releeue her. Had you that craft to reaue herOf what should stead her most?
Ber.My gracious Soueraigne,How ere it pleases you to take it so,The ring was neuer hers.
Old La.Sonne, on my lifeI haue seene her weare it, and she reckon'd itAt her liues rate.
Laf.I am sure I saw her weare it.
Ber.You are deceiu'd my Lord, she neuer saw it:In Florence was it from a casement throwne mee,Wrap'd in a paper, which contain'd the nameOf her that threw it: Noble she was, and thoughtI stood ingag'd, but when I had subscrib'dTo mine owne fortune, and inform'd her fully,I could not answer in that course of HonourAs she had made the ouerture, she ceastIn heauie satisfaction, and would neuerReceiue the Ring againe.
Kin.Platus himselfe,That knowes the tinct and multiplying med'cine,Hath not in natures mysterie more science,Then I haue in this Ring. 'Twas mine, 'twas Helens,Who euer gaue it you: then if you knowThat you are well acquainted with your selfe,Confesse 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcementYou got it from her. She call'd the Saints to suretie,That she would neuer put it from her finger,Vnlesse she gaue it to your selfe in bed,Where you haue neuer come: or sent it vsVpon her great disaster.
Ber.She neuer saw it.
Kin.Thou speak'st it falsely: as I loue mine Honor,And mak'st connecturall feares to come into me,Which I would faine shut out, if it should proueThat thou art so inhumane, 'twill not proue so:And yet I know not, thou didst hate her deadly,And she is dead, which nothing but to closeHer eyes my selfe, could win me to beleeue,More then to see this Ring. Take him away,My fore-past proofes, how ere the matter fallShall taze my feares of little vanitie,Hauing vainly fear'd too little. Away with him,Wee'l sift this matter further.
Ber.If you shall proueThis Ring was euer hers, you shall as easieProue that I husbanded her bed in Florence,Where yet she neuer was.
Enter a Gentleman.
King.I am wrap'd in dismall thinkings.
Gen.Gracious Soueraigne.Whether I haue beene too blame or no, I know not,Here's a petition from a Florentine,Who hath for foure or fiue remoues come short,To tender it her selfe. I vndertooke it,Vanquish'd thereto by the faire grace and speechOf the poore suppliant, who by this I knowIs heere attending: her businesse lookes in herWith an importing visage, and she told meIn a sweet verball breefe, it did concerneYour Highnesse with her selfe.
A Letter.Vpon his many protestations to marrie mee when his wife wasdead, I blush to say it, he wonne me. Now is the CountRossillion a Widdower, his vowes are forfeited to mee, and myhonors payed to him. Hee stole from Florence, taking noleaue, and I follow him to his Countrey for Iustice: Grantit me, O King, in you it best lies, otherwise a seducerflourishes, and a poore Maid is vndone.Diana Capilet.
Laf.I will buy me a sonne in Law in a faire, and toulefor this. Ile none of him.
Kin.The heauens haue thought well on thee Lafew,To bring forth this discou'rie, seeke these sutors:Go speedily, and bring againe the Count.Enter Bertram.I am a-feard the life of Hellen (Ladie)Was fowly snatcht.
Old La.Now iustice on the doers.
King.I wonder sir, sir, wiues are monsters to you,And that you flye them as you sweare them Lordship,Yet you desire to marry. What woman's that?
Enter Widdow, Diana, and Parrolles.
Dia.I am my Lord a wretched Florentine,Deriued from the ancient Capilet,My suite as I do vnderstand you know,And therefore know how farre I may be pittied.
Wid.I am her Mother sir, whose age and honourBoth suffer vnder this complaint we bring,And both shall cease, without your remedie.
King.Come hether Count, do you know these Women?
Ber.My Lord, I neither can nor will denie,But that I know them, do they charge me further?
Dia.Why do you looke so strange vpon your wife?
Ber.She's none of mine my Lord.
Dia.If you shall marrieYou giue away this hand, and that is mine,You giue away heauens vowes, and those are mine:You giue away my selfe, which is knowne mine:For I by vow am so embodied yours,That she which marries you, must marrie me,Either both or none.
Laf.Your reputation comes too short for my daughter, you are no husband for her.
Ber.My Lord, this is a fond and desp'rate creature,Whom sometime I haue laugh'd with: Let your highnesLay a more noble thought vpon mine honour,Then for to thinke that I would sinke it heere.
Kin.Sir for my thoughts, you haue them il to friend,Till your deeds gaine them fairer: proue your honor,Then in my thought it lies.
Dian.Good my Lord,Aske him vpon his oath, if hee do's thinkeHe had not my virginity.
Kin.What saist thou to her?
Ber.She's impudent my Lord,And was a common gamester to the Campe.
Dia.He do's me wrong my Lord: If I were so,He might haue bought me at a common price.Do not beleeue him. O behold this Ring,Whose high respect and rich validitieDid lacke a Paralell: yet for all thatHe gaue it to a Commoner a'th CampeIf I be one.
Coun.He blushes, and 'tis hit:Of sixe preceding Ancestors that IemmeConfer'd by testament to'th sequent issueHath it beene owed and worne. This is his wife,That Ring's a thousand proofes.
King.Me thought you saideYou saw one heere in Court could witnesse it.
Dia.I did my Lord, but loath am to produceSo bad an instrument, his names Parrolles.
Laf.I saw the man to day, if man he bee.
Kin.Finde him, and bring him hether.
Ros.What of him:He's quoted for a most perfidious slaueWith all the spots a'th world, taxt and debosh'd,Whose nature sickens: but to speake a truth,Am I, or that or this for what he'l vtter,That will speake any thing.
Kin.She hath that Ring of yours.
Ros.I thinke she has; certaine it is I lyk'd her,And boorded her i'th wanton way of youth:She knew her distance, and did angle for mee,Madding my eagernesse with her restraint,As all impediments in fancies courseAre motiues of more fancie, and in fine,Her insuite comming with her moderne grace,Subdu'd me to her rate, she got the Ring,And I had that which any inferiour mightAt Market price haue bought.
Dia.I must be patient:You that haue turn'd off a first so noble wife,May iustly dyet me. I pray you yet,(Since you lacke vertue, I will loose a husband)Send for your Ring, I will returne it home,And giue me mine againe.
Ros.I haue it not.
Kin.What Ring was yours I pray you?
Dian.Sir much like the same vpon your finger.
Kin.Know you this Ring, this Ring was his of late.
Dia.And this was it I gaue him being a bed.
Kin.The story then goes false, you threw it himOut of a Casement.
Dia.I haue spoke the truth.
Enter Parolles.
Ros.My Lord, I do confesse the ring was hers.
Kin.You boggle shrewdly, euery feather starts you:Is this the man you speake of?
Dia.I, my Lord.
Kin.Tell me sirrah, but tell me true I charge you,Not fearing the displeasure of your master:Which on your iust proceeding, Ile keepe off,By him and by this woman heere, what know you?
Par.So please your Maiesty, my master hath bin anhonourable Gentleman. Trickes hee hath had in him,which Gentlemen haue.
Kin.Come, come, to'th' purpose: Did hee loue this woman?
Par.Faith sir he did loue her, but how.
Kin.How I pray you?
Par.He did loue her sir, as a Gent. loues a Woman.
Kin.How is that?
Par.He lou'd her sir, and lou'd her not.
Kin.As thou art a knaue and no knaue, what an equiuocall Companion is this?
Par.I am a poore man, and at your Maiesties command.
Laf.Hee's a good drumme my Lord, but a naughtie Orator.
Dian.Do you know he promist me marriage?
Par.Faith I know more then Ile speake.
Kin.But wilt thou not speake all thou know'st?
Par.Yes so please your Maiesty: I did goe betweenethem as I said, but more then that he loued her, for indeede he was madde for her, and talkt of Sathan, and ofLimbo, and of Furies, and I know not what: yet I was inthat credit with them at that time, that I knewe of theirgoing to bed, and of other motions, as promising hermarriage, and things which would deriue mee ill will tospeake of, therefore I will not speake what I know.
Kin.Thou hast spoken all alreadie, vnlesse thou canstsay they are maried, but thou art too fine in thy euidence,therefore stand aside. This Ring you say was yours.
Dia.I my good Lord.
Kin.Where did you buy it? Or who gaue it you?
Dia.It was not giuen me, nor I did not buy it.
Kin.Who lent it you?
Dia.It was not lent me neither.
Kin.Where did you finde it then?
Dia.I found it not.
Kin.If it were yours by none of all these wayes,How could you giue it him?
Dia.I neuer gaue it him.
Laf.This womans an easie gloue my Lord, she goesoff and on at pleasure.
Kin.This Ring was mine, I gaue it his first wife.
Dia.It might be yours or hers for ought I know.
Kin.Take her away, I do not like her now,To prison with her: and away with him,Vnlesse thou telst me where thou hadst this Ring,Thou diest within this houre.
Dia.Ile neuer tell you.
Kin.Take her away.
Dia.Ile put in baile my liedge.
Kin.I thinke thee now some common Customer.
Dia.By Ioue if euer I knew man 'twas you.
King.Wherefore hast thou accusde him al this while.
Dia.Because he's guiltie, and he is not guilty:He knowes I am no Maid, and hee'l sweare too't:Ile sweare I am a Maid, and he knowes not.Great King I am no strumpet, by my life,I am either Maid, or else this old mans wife.
Kin.She does abuse our eares, to prison with her.
Dia.Good mother fetch my bayle. Stay Royall sir,The Ieweller that owes the Ring is sent for,And he shall surety me. But for this Lord,Who hath abus'd me as he knowes himselfe,Though yet he neuer harm'd me, heere I quit him.He knowes himselfe my bed he hath defil'd,And at that time he got his wife with childe:Dead though she be, she feeles her yong one kicke:So there's my riddle, one that's dead is quicke,And now behold the meaning.
Enter Hellen and Widdow.
Kin.Is there no exorcistBeguiles the truer Office of mine eyes?Is't reall that I see?
Hel.No my good Lord,'Tis but the shadow of a wife you see,The name, and not the thing.
Ros.Both, both, O pardon.
Hel.Oh my good Lord, when I was like this Maid,I found you wondrous kinde, there is your Ring,And looke you, heeres your letter: this it sayes,When from my finger you can get this Ring,And is by me with childe, &c. This is done,Will you be mine now you are doubly wonne?
Ros.If she my Liege can make me know this clearly,Ile loue her dearely, euer, euer dearly.
Hel.If it appeare not plaine, and proue vntrue,Deadly diuorce step betweene me and you.O my deere mother do I see you liuing?
Laf.Mine eyes smell Onions, I shall weepe anon:Good Tom Drumme lend me a handkercher.So I thanke thee, waite on me home, Ile make sport withthee: Let thy curtsies alone, they are scuruy ones.
King.Let vs from point to point this storie know,To make the euen truth in pleasure flow:If thou beest yet a fresh vncropped flower,Choose thou thy husband, and Ile pay thy dower.For I can guesse, that by thy honest ayde,Thou keptst a wife her selfe, thy selfe a Maide.Of that and all the progresse more and lesse,Resoluedly more leasure shall expresse:All yet seemes well, and if it end so meete,The bitter past, more welcome is the sweet.Flourish.
THe Kings a Begger, now the Play is done,All is well ended, if this suite be wonne,That you expresse Content: which we will pay,With strife to please you, day exceeding day:Ours be your patience then, and yours our parts,Your gentle hands lend vs, and take our hearts. Exeunt omn.
