Enter Lafeu. Here is a purr of fortune's, sir, or of fortune's cat, -but not a musk-cat,-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 similes 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'écu for you: let the justices make you and fortune friends: I am for other business. [word. Par. I beseech your honour to hear me one single Laf. You beg a single penny more: come, you shall hat; save your word. Par. My name, my good lord, is Parolles. Laf. You beg more than '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! [thee. Laf. Was I, in sooth? and I was the first that lost 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. [Trumpets sound.] The king's coming; I know by his trumpets. Sirrah, inquire further 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. The Count's palace. SCENE III.- Rousillon. King. We lost a jewel of her; and our esteem Count. 'Tis past, my liege; And I beseech your majesty to make it Natural rebellion, done i' the blaze of youth; When oil and fire, too strong for reason's force, O'erbears it and burns on. King. 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. Laf. This I must say, But first I beg my pardon, the young lord Did to his majesty, his mother and his lady Offence of mighty note; but to himself The greatest wrong of all. He lost a wife Whose beauty did astonish the survey Of richest eyes, whose words all ears took captive, Whose dear perfection hearts that scorn'd to serve Humbly call'd mistress. King. Praising what is lost Makes the remembrance dear. Well, call him hither; The nature of his great offence is dead, The incensing relics of it: let him approach, Gent. I shall, my liege. [Exit. King. What says he to your daughter? Have you spoke? Dear sovereign, pardon to me. King. All is whole; Not one word more of the consumed time. Ber. Admiringly, my liege, at first I stuck my choice upon her, ere my heart Count. Which better than the first, O dear heaven, Hers it was not. In Florence was it from a casement thrown me, King. Ber. She never saw it. King. Thou speak'st it falsely, as I love mine honour; And makest conjectural fears to come into me, If you shall prove [Exit, guarded. King. I am wrapp'd in dismal thinkings. Enter a Gentleman. Gent. 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. 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. Laf. I will buy me a son-in-law in a fair, and toll for this: I'll none of him. [Lafeu, King. The heavens have thought well on thee, 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. Count. Now, justice on the doers! Re-enter Bertram, guarded. 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? Dia. I am, my lord, a wretched Florentine, My suit, as I do understand, you know, Ber. My lord, I neither can nor will deny [ther? Dia. You give away this hand, and that is mine; Laf. Your reputation comes too short for my daughter; you are no husband for her. Ber. 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 King. Sir, for my thoughts, you have them ill to friend Till your deeds gain them: fairer prove your honou. Dia. Ask him upon his oath, if he does think King. What say'st thou to her? She's impudent, my lord, Count. He blushes, and 't is it: Of six preceding ancestors, that gem, Conferr'd by testament to the sequent issue, Hath it been owned and worn. This is his wife; That ring 's a thousand proofs. King. Methought you said You saw one here in court could witness it. Dia. I did, my lord, but loath am to produce So bad an instrument: his name 's Parolles. Laf. I saw the man to-day, if man be he. King. Find him, and bring him hither. [Exit an Attendant. Ber. What of him? He's quoted for a most perfidious slave, With all the spots o' the world tax'd and debosh'd; Whose nature sickens but to speak a truth. Am I or that or this for what he'll utter, That will speak any thing? King. She hath that ring of yours. Ber. I think she has: certain it is I liked her, And boarded her i' the wanton way of youth: She knew her distance and did angle for me, Madding my eagerness with her restraint, As all impediments in fancy's course Are motives of more fancy; and, in fine, Her infinite cunning, with her modern grace, Subdued me to her rate: she got the ring; And I had that which any inferior might At market-price have bought. Dia. I must be patient: Ber. My lord, I do confess the ring was hers. King. You boggle shrewdly, every feather starts Is this the man you speak of? [you. Dia. Ay, my lord. King. Tell me, sirrah, but tell me true, I charge Not fearing the displeasure of your master, [you, Which on your just proceeding I'll keep off, By him and by this woman here what know you? Par. So please your majesty, my master hath been an honcurable gentleman: tricks he hath had in him, which gentlemen have. King. Come, come, to the purpose: did he love this woman? Dia. Do you know he promised me marriage? Par. Faith, I know more than I'll speak. King. But wilt thou not speak all thou knowest? Par. Yes, so please your majesty. I did go between them, as I said; but more than that, he loved her: for indeed he was mad for her, and talked of Satan and of Limbo and of Furies and I know not what: yet I was in that credit with them at that time that I knew of their going to bed, and of other motions, as promising her marriage, and things which would derive me ill will to speak of; therefore I will not speak what I know. King. Thou hast spoken all already, unless thou canst say they are married: but thou art too fine in thy evidence; therefore stand aside. This ring, you say, was yours? Dia. Ay, my good lord. King. Where did you buy it? or who gave it you? Dia. It was not given me, nor I did not buy it. King. Who lent it you? Dia. It was not lent me neither. King. Where did you find it, then? Dia. I found it not. King. If it were yours by none of all these ways, How could you give it him? Dia. I never gave it him. Laf. This woman 's an easy glove, my lord; she goes off and on at pleasure. King. This ring was mine; I gave it his first wife. Dia. It might be yours or hers, for aught I know. King. Take her away; I do not like her now; To prison with her: and away with him. Unless thou tell 'st me where thou hadst this ring, I'll never tell you. King. Take her away. Dia. Because he 's guilty, and he is not guilty: Re-enter Widow, with Helena. King. Is there no exorcist Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes? Ist real that I see? Hel. No, my good lord; 'Tis but the shadow of a wife you see, The name and not the thing. Ber. Both, both. O. pardon! Hel. O my good lord, when I was like this maid, I found you wondrous kind. There is your ring; And, look you, here's your letter; this it says: 'When from my finger you can get this ring And are by me with child,' &c. This is done: Will you be mine, now you are doubly won? Ber. If she, my liege, can make me know this I'll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly. [clearly, Hel. If it appear not plain and prove untrue, Deadly divorce step between me and you! O my dear mother, do I see you living? Laf. Mine eyes smell onions; I shall weep anon: [To Parolles] Good Tom Drum, lend me a handkercher: so, [thee: I thank thee: wait on me home, I'll make sport with Let thy courtesies alone, they are scurvy ones. King. Let us from point to point this story know, To make the even truth in pleasure flow. [To Diana] If thou be 'st yet a fresh uncropped flower," Choose thou thy husband, and I'll pay thy dower; For I can guess that by thy honest aid Thou kept'st a wife herself, thyself a maid. Of that and all the progress, more or less, Resolvedly more leisure shall express: All yet seems well; and if it end so meet, The bitter past, more welcome is the sweet. EPILOGUE. [Flourish. Duke. If music be the food of love, play on; O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound, Stealing and giving odour! Enough; no more: 'Tis not so sweet now as it was before. O spirit of love! how quick and fresh art thou, But falls into abatement and low price, Even in a minute: so full of shapes is fancy Cur. Will you go hunt, my lord? Cur. The hart. What, Curio? Duke. Why, so I do, the noblest that I have: O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first, Methought she purged the air of pestilence! And my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, Enter Valentine. How now! what news from her? Val. So please my lord, I might not be admitted; But from her handmaid do return this answer: The element itself, till seven years' heat, A brother's dead love, which she would keep fresh Duke. O, she that hath a heart of that fine frame To pay this debt of love but to a brother, How will she love, when the rich golden shaft Hath kill'd the flock of all affections else That live in her; when liver, brain and heart, These sovereign thrones, are all supplied, and fill'd Her sweet perfections with one self king! Away before me to sweet beds of flowers: Love-thoughts lie rich when canopied with bow[Exeunt. ers. SCENE II.-The sea-coast. Enter Viola, a Captain, and Sailors. Vio. What country, friends, is this? Vio. And what should I do in Illyria? [ors? Perchance he is not drown'd: what think you, sail Cap. It is perchance that you yourself were saved. Vio. O my poor brother! and so perchance may he be. [chance, Cap. True, madam: and, to comfort you with Courage and hope both teaching him the practice, I saw him hold acquaintance with the waves Vio. For saying so, there 's gold: Mine own escape unfoldeth to my hope, The like of him. Know'st thou this country? Cap. Ay, madam, well; for I was bred and born Not three hours' travel from this very place. Vio. Who governs here? Cap. A noble duke, in nature as in name. Vio. What is his name? Cap. Orsino. Vio. Orsino! I have heard my father name him: He was a bachelor then. Cap. And so is now, or was so very late; For but a month ago I went from hence, And then 't was fresh in murmur,-as, you know, What great ones do the less will prattle of,— That he did seek the love of fair Olivia. Vio. What's she? Cap. A virtuous maid, the daughter of a count Vio. |